


Not so... Endgame

by DestielIsFuckinReal



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame Rewrite, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Deadpool being Deadpool, Deaf Clint Barton, Everybody Lives, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Happy Ending, I'M NOT CRYING YOU ARE, Marvel women epic scene, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Time Travel, Various heroes cameos, Well except Thanos and his minions ofc, Who's not germy rat because we don't claim him, Writer is the president of hating Howard Stark club, but blink and IronStrange is gone, if you squint you can see IronStrange and ThorQuill at the end, time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-02-08 03:30:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 25,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21469339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestielIsFuckinReal/pseuds/DestielIsFuckinReal
Summary: What if it didn't take five years? What if Tony and Nat survived? What if Endgame didn't really happen?
Comments: 18
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As Marvel's What if...? is in production, I just thought, what if Endgame was just a collective fever dream and it didn't happen? Then I thought, what if we could have had it all?

* * *

«He did it» Nebula says in the absolute silence that follows. Tony looks up at her, specks of dust, of _Peter_, still on his hands and that's when it hits him. They lost.

\---

On Earth, or everywhere, really, people, plants and animals are slowly disappearing, turning to dust. A balanced universe. Thanos looks at the sun as it sets. He smiles.

\---

«Nick!» Maria yells from the passenger seat and Fury hits the brakes just in time for the car to not hit them. They both get out and Maria checks for passengers.

«They ok?» Fury asks.

Maria turns to him confused, «There's no one here»

Up in the sky, an helicopter crashes nose first into a building. All around them, people are freaking out, two of them slowly turn to dust before their eyes.

«Call control, code red»

Behind him, Maria calls, «Nick?»

He turns around and sees her disintegrating like the two civilians. «Hill?»

Nick rushes to their car, grabs an old pager and sends an emergency alert before he, too, turns to dust.

The pager falls on the ground.

\---

Few days later, at the Avengers compound, Fury's pager beeps before turning off. Rhodes calls Steve and Nat to go check it out. He found the pager when he was scouting the area for survivors. He didn't have much luck.

Nat sighs, «What do we got?»

«Whatever signal it was sending finally capped out» Bruce explains.

«I thought we bypassed the battery»

«We did» Rhodes says, «it's still plugged in, it just... stopped»

«Reboot it, send the signal again» Steve orders.

«We don't even know what this _is_»

«Fury did» Nat says, «just do it, please» she begs. She never begs, «you tell me the second you get a signal, I wanna know who's on the other end of that thing»

She walks away but she stops when she sees a woman blocking the door. She has a red and blue suit, with an eight pointed star on her chest.

«Where's Fury?» she asks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think, kudos and comments are a major help for me to continue in what I write


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed some things, added some others

They explain Carol what happened.

«We think Fury disintegrated» Nat says and points at the pager, «Rhodey found this in New York, on the street»

Carol nods, «I saw this happening, allover the universe, not just Earth»

«Fuck!» Rhodey says, punching the table in frustration, «So what? Now the universe is half what it was?»

From the door, Thor speaks, «He did what he said he'd do» everyone turns to him and he goes on, «a balanced universe» he flops on the nearest chair, hides his face behind his hands. «I lost half my people to him, I lost my _brother_ to him»

«I was there» Bruce intervenes, «it was brutal»

«Thor, we all lost someone» Steve says, «I lost Bucky, again, and... and Sam»

«We probably lost Tony too» Nat adds, «Pepper called me after the snap, she asked if we heard anything from him and I...» she stifles a sob and Steve puts an arm around her, «I didn't even know what to tell her, what if he didn't survive?»

«Tony?» Carol asks, to which Rhodey replies, «Stark»

«Where was he before... You know...»

«We were in Bleecker Street when two of Thanos' minions came on Earth,» Bruce says, «last time I saw him he was with Spider-Man and Doctor Strange» he shrugs, «my best guess is he's in space because the aliens came for the infinity stone Strange was protecting»

«I can go look for him» Carol volunteers.

Rhodey crosses his arms on his chest, «And how do you plan on doing that? The universe is a big place»

Carol shrugs, «I have my ways, and I know the universe pretty well» she goes to walk away but stops when Nat calls her name. She turns. Whatever Nat was going to say, she seems to change her mind when she sees the resolution in her eyes.

«Just...» she says instead, «Good luck»

Carol walks out of the building and takes off.

\---

Carol looks for Tony for two days, with the help of what's left of Alpha Flight, until she sees a spaceship going adrift, seemingly abandoned. She takes a closer look and sees a man in the cockpit. He shields his eyes from her light, opening them a moment later. She smiles and asks him to open the ship to her with a finger.

Tony nods, pressing the buttons to let the woman in, but grabs a gun from under the chair, just in case. Nebula joins him a minute later.

«What's going on, why did you open the door?» she asks.

«Rescue, hopefully»

The glowing woman walks to the cockpit. She seems unarmed, but Tony doesn't trust someone who can glow like that and can, apparently, breathe in space. He tightens the grip on the gun hidden behind his back.

«Tony Stark?» she asks.

Nebula takes a step closer, but Tony puts one hand on her arm. «Who's asking?» he says.

«My name is Carol Danvers, I came here to bring you home»

«Yeah? And how did you find me?»

«Pure luck, actually»

«Oh really?» Tony says, sarcastic, «So you don't work for Thanos? Or maybe some other intergalactic prick that somehow knows me?»

Before Carol can say anything, Nebula takes him aside. «Tony, breathe, she doesn't work for my father»

Tony looks up at her, «You sure? Because, no offense, but you weren't with Thanos in the past four years, so what can you know?»

«That's a Kree uniform» Nebula says, eyeing Carol, «or at least the style is»

Tony eyes Carol too, she seems genuine, but in this line of work you can never know what's under the surface. Sure, some of the villains the Avengers, or even Iron Man himself, fought were pretty damn human, and most of his own foes were friendly faces, take Stane for example. He sighs, «I need to think»

Nebula nods and walks closer to Carol. «Who told you to come save him?» she asks, threatening. If this Carol does something funny, she'll simply hurt her.

«No one, I volunteered»

«Out of nowhere?»

«Natasha was worried» Carol says through gritted teeth, «_everyone_ was worried»

Tony raises his eyes at the mention of the spy, «Wait, what? You said Natasha? As in Natasha Romanoff?»

Carol nods, «I met her. Steve, Bruce, Thor, Rhodey and Rocket too»

«Rocket?» Nebula says, almost in a whisper.

«Alright» Tony says, looking at Nebula, then turns back to Carol, «let's say we believe you, how are you planning to bring us back on Earth?»

«We're out of fuel» Nebula explains.

Carol smirks, «Leave that to me»

\---

At the Avengers compound, the mirror in the bathroom trembles. Steve walks to the main room, where he finds Nat staring at a glass, the water in it shaking. They lock eyes and walk to the yard with Bruce and Rhodey, just in time to see Carol carrying a spaceship.

When they touch down, the portal opens, revealing a shaken up Tony being supported by a blue skinned woman. Steve is the first one to approach, helping Tony stand up.

«Couldn't stop him» the man says.

«Neither could I»

A beat, then, «I lost the kid»

«Tony, _we lost_»

Tony looks around, Nat, Bruce, Rhodes, what's left of the Avengers. They're all that's _left_.

«Is, uh...» he can't say anything more that Pepper strides to his side.

«Oh my God» she says, on the brink of tears as she hugs him, «Oh my God!»

Tony kisses her temple, «It's ok»

Pepper just hugs him tighter.

\---

Next to the Benatar, Rocket looks up at Nebula.

«Quill?» he asks. Nebula shakes her head, looking down.

«Anyone?» he tries again. Nebula doesn't reply.

Rocket licks his lips, he's scared to ask for the next person. «Gamora?» he says at last.

Nebula stifles a sob and Rocket sits next to her. He takes her hand and she squeezes it. 

\---

Once inside, Pepper walks to Nebula, who's in the next room where the Avengers are filling Tony in about what happened on Earth in the past three weeks.

Nebula looks up at her before moving her attention back to her metal arm.

«I wanted to thank you» Pepper says and Nebula nods, once, eyes still focused on her arm, «for taking care of him when I couldn't»

«It's not like I had a choice»

«Still» Pepper smiles, one tear falling from her eye, «you kept him sane, so» she walks closer, about to hug Nebula, but thinks better of it, «thank you»

Pepper walks back to the rest of the group, leaving Nebula alone.

«We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now» Steve is saying, «deep space scans, satellites, and we got nothing» he turns to Tony, who's still staring at Rocket like he's some sort of mystical creature, «Tony, you fought him»

«Who told you that?» Tony says surprised, «I didn't fight him, no, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street magician gave away the store. That's what happened. There was no fight, he's unbeatable»

«Did he give you any clues?» Steve goes on, «Any coordinates, anything?»

Tony scoffs, «I saw this coming, I had a vision, I didn't wanna believe it, thought I was dreaming»

«Tony, I'm gonna need you to fucus»

«And I needed you!» Tony explodes, «As in past tense»

Everyone looks on as Tony lashes out on Steve, the latter not doing anything to stop him, because, he knows, Tony is right. He was right about the armor around the world, was right about the accords, everything.

Rhodey steps up and stops Tony's rambling, «Alright, sit down, you made your point»

«No, I didn't make my point, you know what?» Tony turns to Carol, «She's great, by the way»

«Tony, you're sick» Rhodey tries again, but he doesn't listen.

«She can glow and breathe in space, I can't even imagine what her punches taste like, all you can do, instead, is giving me an ulcer» he turns back to Steve, «I got nothing for you, Cap, no coordinates, no clues, no options, zero, zip, nada. No trust, liar» he takes the arc reactor and shoves it into Steve's hand, «Take this, you find him, you put that on, you hide»

Tony falls on the ground and Steve is the first to reach for him.

«I'm fine, I...»

Tony faints.

\---

«Let him sleep it off» Rhodey says, looking over at the room where Pepper is taking off Tony's glasses from his sleeping form, «he'll feel better when he wakes up»

«You guys take care of him» Carol says, walking away, «I'll bring him Xorrian Elixir when I come back»

Nat asks, «Wait, where are you going?»

«To kill Thanos» Carol says without looking back.

Nat and Steve share a look before following her. She has the guts, Steve thinks, going after Thanos like this, without even having a plan.

«Hey, you know, we usually work as a team here» Nat says, «and between you and I, morale's a little fragile right now»

«We realize this is more your territory, but this is our fight too» Steve adds.

«Do you even know where he is?» Rhodey asks and Carol stops to look at him.

«I know people who might»

From the door, Nebula speaks, «Don't bother, I can tell you where Thanos is» when all eyes turn on her, she continues, walking closer, «Thanos spent a long time trying to perfect me, and when he worked, he talked about his great plan. Even disassembled, I wanted to please him...» she pauses, trying to forget the painful hours spent on Thanos' work table, «I'd ask “Where would we go once his plan was complete?”, his answer was always the same, “To the Garden”»

«Aw that's cute» Rhodey mocks, «Thanos has a retirement plan»

«So where is he?» Steve asks.

Rocket jumps on the table, «When Thanos snapped, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions, no one's ever seen anything like it, until two days ago» he presses some buttons and a hologram of a planet pops up, «on this planet»

Nebula point at a spot on it, «Thanos is there»

«He used the stones again» Nat says, almost to herself.

«Hey hey hey, wait» Bruce interjects, «we'd be going in short-handed, you know this, right?»

«Look, he's still got the stones--» Rhodey starts and Carol interrupts him, «So let's get him, use the stones to bring everyone back»

Rhodey raises one eyebrow at her, «Just like that?»

«Yeah, just like that» Steve says and looks at Carol. He likes what he sees in her eyes, determination, to do the right thing no matter what. 

«Even if there's a small chance that we can undo this» Nat shrugs, «I mean we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try»

«And how can you say this won't end up like last time?» Bruce asks.

Carol looks at him, «Because last time you didn't have me»

«Hey, new girl?» Rhodey calls and Carol turns to him, «Everyone here is in the superhero life and, if you don't mind me asking, where have you been all this time?»

«There are a lot of other planets in the universe» Carol says, unfazed, «and unfortunately they don't have you guys»

From his spot at the table, Thor stands up and walks to Carol. He extends one hand, waiting for Stormbreaker to come. All Carol does is stare at him, perfectly relaxed. Thor looks at her one more moment before a smile creeps on his face.

«I like this one» he declares.

«Alright then» Steve says, looking around the people in the room, «Avengers, and Carol, let's go get this son of a bitch»

Carol smirks, «Really? Fury named you guys after me?»

Everyone looks at her confused, so she explains, «My name in the Force was Avenger»

A stunned silence follows and Carol shrugs one shoulder before walking towards the door, still smirking, «We'll take off in five»

Nat is the first to follow her, passing Rhodey on her way, «Careful Rhodes,» she says, patting his shoulder, «you're drooling»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think with comments and kudos :)


	3. Chapter 3

They meet at the Benatar, Rocket at the wheel. They jump into hyperspace and, a moment later, they're all looking at the Garden, the planet where Thanos is supposed to be. Carol gets out of the ship and tells them she'll head down for recon. Five minutes later, she's back.

«No satellites, no ships, no army, no ground defenses of any type,» she says as she hovers in front of the Benatar, «it's just him»

«And that's enough» Nebula says.

«Alright,» Steve nods, «you know what to do»

\---

They approach Thanos' cabin silently. Steve nods to Carol, who starts glowing and smashes through the roof, taking Thanos by the neck. Next to get in is Bruce in the Hulkbuster, who grabs Thanos' arm with the gauntlet and waits for Thor to cut it. Steve and Nat walk in together, staring at Thanos with murder in their eyes. Rocket jumps off Rhodey's shoulders, who's still aiming his guns at him, and walks over to the gauntlet. He turns it over.

«Oh no...» he says, low.

Steve looks at the absent stones, then back at Thanos. «Where are they?»

When the Mad Titan doesn't reply right away, Carol tightens her grip on his neck. «Answer the question» she orders.

«The universe required correction» he says at last, «after that, the stones served no purpose, beyond temptation»

That's when Bruce explodes, «You murdered trillions!» he says, punching him.

Thanos just grins, «You should be grateful» he says, before Bruce punches him again.

«Where are the stones?» Nat asks again.

«Gone, reduced to atoms»

«You used them two days ago» Bruce says, trying his hardest to not punch the Titan again.

«I used the stones to destroy the stones and it nearly killed me, but the work is done, it always will be» he sits up straighter, looks at them one by one, «I am... inevitable»

«We have to tear this place apart,» Rhodey says to his companions, frantic, «he- he has to be lying!»

From her spot in the back, Nebula says, «My father is many things, a liar is not one of them»

«Ah, thank you, daughter» Thanos says and Nebula looks down, uncomfortable, «perhaps I treated you too harshly»

Thor has had enough of it, he raises his arm, waiting for Stormbreaker, and, before anyone can stop him, cuts Thanos' head off. Everyone stares at him as Thanos' body falls on the floor, Nebula wiping some blood drops from her face.

In the silence that follows, Rocket asks, «What did you do?»

«I went for the head» Thor says simply, and walks away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From next chapter, things start to get kinda offscript (meaning, I'm starting to write _my own_ Endgame)


	4. Chapter 4

_ **~Three years later** _

After what happened on the Garden, they fly back home, defeated. Nat hoped that it would be enough to bring everyone back, not only on Earth, but in the whole universe. She feels like they own them since that day in Wakanda, where they couldn't stop the inevitable. The Avengers still fight the eventual villain who dares to attempt a coup but, with time and half the population gone, even that stops.

It's ironic, Nat thinks, how all of the Avengers survived, the original six at least, even though that's no one to call an original Avenger anymore. Tony retired, bought a farm and is now living far away from New York. He calls sometimes, to talk with Nat, Nebula, Rhodey and Carol when they're around, but he never came back to the compound, and always manages to call when Steve isn't there. Bruce is back on studying his gamma rays, said once or twice he's working on some sort of experiment the few times they met for a coffee or (rarely) lunch. Steve leads a support group for whoever lost someone to the snap avoiding, Nat can bet, to talk about _his_ lost, especially about losing Bucky again. Thor found what's left of his people, he told her once, before moving to New Asgard, that a Valkyrie (yes, she heard right) helped what she could of the people in the Asgardian ship when Thanos attacked. She hasn't heard from him since. And Clint? Well, she hasn't heard of him_ at all_. Sometimes she's scared he didn't make it, that the snap got to them too, so to speak, got to _her_, taking away the first person she cared about since the Red Room. When Carol, Nebula, Rocket, Okoye and Rhodes brief her on their missions, on both Earth and around the universe, Rhodey always stays after the other four end the conversation, telling her if he found a lead on Clint, even if it ends up in a dead end (that is, literally always).

«Got anything for me?» she asks one day, when she's sure the other holograms disappeared for good. Rhodes shakes his head, and Nat nods, looking down at her fingers.

«Nat, face it, we've been looking for him for three years, maybe he disintegrated»

«No» Nat says, looking back up at him, voice broken, «he isn't, I'm sure of it, and I'm never wrong»

Rhodes never saw her like this in all the years they've known each other. He knows how much Clint means to her, they saved each other more times than he cares to count, and he feels her because it's the same thing he'd do for Tony.

«I'll keep looking» he decides, «I'll ask Carol for some alien technology, or even Alpha Flight tricks to track him faster, but, Nat? Don't keep your hopes too high»

Nat smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes, «Thank you, Rhodes, and if there's anything--»

«I'll call you» he finishes for her before closing the call.

Nat waits a moment more before letting the tears go, Rhodey's words echoing in her head, _maybe he disintegrated_.

«Cheer up, a dame like you shouldn't cry like this»

Nat smiles, not looking up at Steve, «I hate it when you talk like it's the 40s»

«And I hate to see such a beautiful doll weep»

Nat looks up at him then, giving him the "call me doll again and I'll drop kick you in the face" look. Steve raises his hands in surrender and sits at the table, facing Nat. «Seriously, what's going on?» he asks, «Is it about Clint again?»

She doesn't reply.

After a few beats, Steve says, «You know, I keep telling everybody they should move on and grow, some do, but not us»

Nat sighs, «If I move on, who does this?»

«Maybe it doesn't need to be done»

«I used to have nothing, and then I got this» Nat thinks out loud, gesturing around, «this job, this family, and I was... I was better because of it, and even though they're gone... I'm still trying to be better»

«I think we both need to get a life»

Nat smiles, «You first»

Just then, a video pops up in front of them.

«Oh, hey, is anyone home?» Scott says, looking up at the camera, «It's Scott Lang, remember me? We met a few years ago, at the airport, in Germany? I got really big, and I had my mask on, you wouldn't recognize me»

Both Steve and Nat stand up.

«Is this an old message?» Steve asks.

«It's the front gate»

Scott goes on, «AntMan? AntMan, I know you know that, I need to talk to you guys»

Someone else comes out from the van to join him. Nat widens her eyes at the sight.

Steve squints his eyes, «Is that...?»

«Let them in» she says and Steve opens the gate.

\---

That previous morning, while in New York Steve is getting ready for another meeting and Nat is trying to clear her head with some ballet, a rat is walking around in an old van in a self-storage facility in San Francisco. The rear door bursts open and a disoriented Scott Lang appears, landing on some cushions.

«What the hell?» he says looking around, «Hope?»

No reply.

Twenty minutes later (and with the help of a very confused security guard), Scott is walking on way too silent streets of San Fran. It's like an apocalyptic movie, or the aftermath of a nuclear incident, fliers of missing people on post lamps, weed on many houses starting to grow out of control, as if no one bothered to cut it for months. A kid passes by with a bike and Scott calls for him. He stops and turns around.

«What the hell happened here?» Scott asks.

The kid just stares at him for a moment, seemingly about to tear up, then goes away. Scott stares as he gets smaller and smaller toward the horizon before he, too, moves on. He arrives to what looks like a memorial, blocks of stone standing tall in the blue morning sky. He drops the handle of the pushcart he was carrying, suddenly realizing what it is, and rushes to the nearest engraved stone, praying to God, _anyone_, to not see her name. He checks the stones one by one, then he stops. On one of them, at his eye level, it's his own name.

«What?» he mutters, confused.

He decides to leave the memorial and go to his old home, the one he shared with his wife and daughter many years ago, praying, _Please God, let her be_ _there, let her be alive_, like a mantra in his head. He rings the doorbell, bangs on the door, until a figure appears in the hallway. They get closer, surprised to see Scott there.

«Scott?» Maggie asks once she opens the door.

«Maggie!» Scott says and hugs her, feeling her arms close around him instantly, her hands clutching at his tshirt, afraid he's just an illusion. When he leans back to look at her, she still has her hands on his arms, a point of contact to be sure that yes, he is _here_.

«Cassie...» Scott starts but Maggie doesn't let him finish.

«She's inside»

She leads him in the living room, where Cassie is sitting on the couch. She gasps when she sees him, rushing to hug him tight. Scott caresses her hair, longer than the last time he saw her, and kisses the top of her head.

«I thought I wouldn't see you again» Cassie sobs in his tshirt.

«Me too, peanut» Scott says, tears welling in his eyes, «me too»

\---

«So, what happened?» Scott asks.

They're sitting at the kitchen table, the sun peaking behind the curtains.

«Everyone just... Disappeared» Cassie says. Scott looks at her. God, she's so grown up.

«I was so scared» Maggie says, «I was with Paxton and I saw people start to slowly disintegrate and he, too...» she stops to compose herself and Scott puts his hand on hers, «Cassie was in school and I was so terrified the same thing happened to her, I drove there as fast as I could, only to find her and a bunch of other kids in front of the building» she shakes her head, «it was at least half of them, Scott, some parents couldn't hug their kids because they couldn't find them»

«And some kids couldn't hug their parents» Cassie adds.

«It was horrible» Maggie finishes.

«We thought you disintegrated too»

Scott shakes his head, «I was in the Quantum Realm when it happened, I was lucky, but I think the Pyms weren't so much»

Cassie widens her eyes, «Hope too?» and Scott nods.

A few beats pass, before Scott asks, «Are the Avengers still around?»

Maggie and Cassie share a look.

«We haven't heard of them in almost three years,» Maggie says at last, «but then again, it's not that there's been any major threat lately»

«You think they can help us?» Cassie asks.

«Probably, if they didn't disappear» Scott replies and stands up, heading for the door.

«Scott?» Maggie calls. He stops and looks at her, «Good luck»

«Yeah, dad» Cassie smiles, her thumbs up, «go kick some ass»

Maggie turns to her, «Cassie!» she says, outraged.

Scott just laughs.

\---

Scott goes back to the self-storage facility to get back the van and he's on his way to Upstate New York where the Avengers compound is. He left San Francisco several miles behind when he spots a lone figure on the side of the road. As he gets closer, he also notices they have a bow and arrows on their back.

He slows down, stopping next to him. «Hey» he says, «I assume we're going the same way, want a ride?»

Clint looks up at him, he shrugs, and gets inside. 


	5. Chapter 5

The moment the two men walk in the room, Nat rushes to Clint, hugging him tight.

«Woah, I'm ok» he says, hugging her back.

She leans back to stare at him in the eye, «Read my lips» she says, tapping her chin, «don't ghost me again, you fucker»

Clint raises his hands, «Sure, ok» then more serious, «I'm sorry I didn't call, I was helping whoever lost someone to find their loved ones»

Nat crosses her arms, «For three years?»

«There's a lot of people in the area around Chicago»

Steve puts a hand on his shoulder, «Hey, the matter is that you're alright»

Clint smiles, and Steve turns to Scott, «What about you?» he says, «Thought you dusted out, are you ok?»

Scott looks up at him, snapping out of his thoughts. «Mh? Oh yeah, peachy. Have you ever studied Quantum Physics?»

«Only to make conversation» Nat replies with a raised eyebrow.

Scott stares at her, then he explains how, in the Quantum Realm, time passes differently, how those last three years were just three hours for him. 

«So, what are you saying is...?»

«We can time travel» Scott says, finishing Steve's thought, «maybe we can control the chaos in there, navigate it, to a time before Thanos»

«Keep him from taking the stones» Nat suggests, an idea forming in her head.

Scott looks at the two Avengers, «So it's not crazy? You think we can pull it off?»

«Oh sure, just one thing though,» Clint says from the door, a pb&j sandwich in his hand, like all of this is the most normal thing, «how do you plan to do it?»

Steve, Scott and Nat share a look.

After a moment, she says, «I know who can help us»

\---

The drive to Tony's farm is silent, Steve's jaw set as he stares at the road in front of him. It's been three years and this would be the first time Steve sees Tony after what happened at the compound and he's not sure how to feel about it. Tony made it clear he doesn't want to see him ever again and he probably has every right to.

«You're gonna pull something if you don't stop it» Nat says from the passenger seat, not looking up from her phone, «He's not gonna kick you out or blast you with a hand repulsor, it's not that he has an armor at arm length all the time»

Steve sighs, relaxing slightly, «He might not want to hear us out once he sees me»

«It's for the greater good, I'm pretty sure he will hear us no matter what»

«Tony Stark is nothing but a selfless asshole when it comes to save the world, and you know that too, Rogers» Clint says from the backseat, not bothering to open his eyes. Nat smirks at him and Steve looks down at her phone for a split second as the screen illuminates.

«You got a text» he says, looking back at the road.

«It's Bruce» she says, checking it, «I told him about our plan and asked him if he could come over to help, he said he'd come to the compound tomorrow and see what we can do»

Steve nods and the conversation ends there.

Not even ten minutes later, Nat tells him to stop the car and they all get out at the same time Tony comes out of his cabin, arms crossed. His eyes land on Nat first, then move to Steve and stop there for a moment before looking past his shoulder at Clint and Scott.

Nat is the first to move, climbing up the two steps and greeting him, «Hey, Tony»

Tony greets her back, still eyeing Steve. «What's he doing here?»

Steve opens his mouth, then closes it again. From behind him, Scott, feeling the tension, says, «Maybe we know how to reverse it»

«We need your help, Tony» Clint adds.

Tony looks at the four of them one last time before inviting them inside.

Scott explains their plan, talking about Hank's tunnel and how he got stuck in there for what felt like three hours instead of the three years in the outside world. «Now, we know what it sounds like...»

«Tony,» Steve says, «after everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?»

Tony looks at them all, «Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck Scale, which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition, can we agree on that?»

Nat, Steve, Clint and Scott share a look, then Clint says, «English please, not everyone here is a genius»

«In Layman's term,» Tony tries again, «you're not coming home»

«I did»

«No, you accidentally survived, it's a billion to one cosmic fluke, and now you wanna pull off a... What do you call it?» 

«A time heist?» Scott says, proud.

«Yeah, a time heist. Of course, why didn't we think of this before? Oh, because it's laughable? Because it's a pipedream?»

«The Stones are in the past» Scott tries, «we can go back and get them»

«We can snap our own fingers» Nat adds, «we can bring everyone back»

Tony turns to her, «Or screw it up worse than he already has, right?»

«I don't believe we would» Steve says.

«Gotta say, sometimes I miss that giddy optimism» Tony tells him, sarcastic, «however, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist, I believe the most likely outcome would be our collective demise» 

«Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel, that means no talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events--» 

Tony interrupts him, «I'm gonna stop you right there, Scott, are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back to the Future?» 

Scott pauses for a moment, then he mutters, «No...»

«Good, you had me worried there, 'cause that'd be horse shit, that's not how quantum physics works» 

«Tony...» Nat says and he looks at her, «we have to take a stand» 

«We did stand» Tony says, images of the Guardians dusting out before his eyes, Stephen telling him there was no other way, Peter clinging to him, scared, «and yet, here we are»

After few minutes, Tony leads them to the door. He looks at them one by one, «I wish you'd come here to ask me something else, _anything_ else, honestly, I... I missed you guys» and with that, he closes the door.

«He's scared» Nat says, walking to the car, the others following.

«He's not wrong» 

«Yeah, but I mean, what are we gonna do? We need him, what, are we gonna stop?»

Steve shakes his head, «No, I wanna do it right, we're gonna need a really big brain»

«Bigger than his?» Scott asks incredulous, as Steve starts the engine.

Nat smirks, «You'd be surprised» she takes her phone and dials a number. After few seconds, she says, «Mrs Williams? I'm Natalie Rushman from the Maria Stark Foundation, I was wondering if I could talk with your daughter, Riri» 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not me putting Riri in any mcu scenario until I get her in the actual mcu
> 
> Feedback is appreciated


	6. Chapter 6

A ride back to the compound and a quinjet flight to Chicago later, Nat and Scott find themselves in Riri's room, explaining once again their time travel plan.

«It is doable» Riri ponders, pacing back and forth in front of the two adults, «with the right equipment»

«Well, good thing we have that where we're going» Nat smirks up at her from where she's sitting on her bed.

Riri stops, staring at the spy with wide eyes, «We as in... _we_?» she asks incredulous, pointing at herself, then Nat and then Scott.

Nat nods, «By the look of it, you know how to make it happen»

«Not to be disrespectful, but don't you guys have people like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner for this kind of stuff?»

Nat doesn't reply, instead looks around the room, noticing scraps of metal in one corner next to a desk full of sheets with diagrams and formulas on them, and a computer that's running a program on the corner closer to the wall. 

«You made a full functioning armor when you were at MIT, right? And you were only 15 at the time» Nat asks looking back at Riri.

Riri nods, taken off guard, «Yeah, I wanted to challenge myself, to see if I could make something better than Iron Man»

«And you succeeded» Nat finishes for her, standing up.

«The armor could fly but it didn't have an AI»

Nat walks to the desk and looks at the scattered sheets of paper covering the surface, then at the computer, «So you're making one»

«What, are you keeping tabs on me?»

Nat shrugs, «It's my job»

Scott, who has been silent for the whole time, stops Riri before she can say a remark, «Riri, I know what you're going through, I mean, look at me, I was just a normal guy when all of a sudden I'm a superhero»

Riri crosses her arms and looks down, «I've always wanted to be a superhero, actually» she mutters.

He chuckles, «Then you're already one step ahead of me and in the right direction»

«This life, it's hard, we know that more than anyone» Nat says, «but when it calls you and you know that you can do something to help, you don't back away»

«We only ask you to help us with our time machine, then you're free to go if you want» Scott adds.

There's silence for few moments as Riri decides of what to say, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. She can do it, help the Avengers, the universe, she only has to input few codes in a computer and build something to make those codes run smoothly, she can do it in her sleep if she wants. She looks at Scott, then Nat, «Fine, I'll come» she says, then points a finger at the spy, «but you have to explain this to my mom»

Nat smirks, «Deal»

\---

That afternoon, Tony is sitting on the porch steps when Carol lands in front of him.

«You're trespassing» he says as a way of greeting.

«That joke was never funny, Tones» she says, then points at the bottle he's holding, «what you got there?»

«Relax, _mom_, it's alcohol free» he smirks and Carol sits beside him. «How's space?»

«Pretty boring without your quips, how's Earth?»

«Pretty boring without your snark» Tony says and Carol laughs.

«But seriously» she says bumping him with her shoulder, «how is it? How is Canada treating Pepper?»

«She's awesome» Tony smiles, «she loves it there so much she said we should sell the farm and relocate Stark Industries in Toronto»

«Sounds like a pretty good plan to me»

Just then, Goose comes out the house and pawns at Carol's thigh for attention.

«Hey girl» the woman coos, picking her up, «did you annoy the shit out of Tony?» she smirks, looking up at the man in question.

«I'd let you know» Tony says, faking offense, «that she's been taken care of in the best way possible, isn't that true, Goose?»

Goose just ignores him.

«Oh, I see how it is, ditching me the moment something better comes up» he says and goes back in the house, Carol following with Goose still in her arms.

«Oh come on Tones, you know she loves you» she rounds the corner to the kitchen only to find Tony staring at a photograph of himself and a kid posing with a Stark Industries certificate. She puts Goose down and walks closer to her best friend.

«Hey» she says softly, «everything ok?»

Tony doesn't look up from the photo, «Yes»

They fall silent and she can feel the cogs moving in Tony's head. He's thinking of something.

Carol licks her lips, «This is him, right? The Spider-kid» when Tony doesn't reply, she decides to go straight to the point, «I've known you for three years now, I know your scowl when you're making that brain of yours work, so what are you thinking about now?»

Tony puts the photo back on the shelf, then starts walking to his makeshift shop, «I think I figured it out»

Carol goes after him, «Figured out what?»

«Time travel» 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way I miss CarolTony...


	7. Chapter 7

After Thanos' death, Bruce has been busy with his gamma rays studies. He told Nat once that, since the Avengers are no more, may as well work on something to fully control the Hulk. One day, after too many sleepless nights and too much caffeine, he found it, a way to have a cognitive brain in the Hulk's body. He called it Professor Hulk. Now, every time he turns, the only difference is that he's big and green. 

Bruce arrives at the compound bright and early the next morning, finding Nat in the main room, waiting for him.

«Thank you for coming» she tells him as she hugs him.

«Hey, no worries» he smiles, «the band is back together, I assume?»

«Well, not really»

She leads him to their makeshift lab, where Riri is typing on a computer connected to Scott's van with cables, staring intently at the monitor.

Bruce looks at Riri, then Nat with an eyebrow raised, clearly impressed. Nat smirks, then addresses the teen.

«Good morning, Riri»

«Hi» she says, not looking away from the monitor.

Nat walks closer, Bruce following, «For how long you've been here?»

«Since... uhm... two...?» Riri grimaces.

Nat checks the clock. 7am.

«Did you spend the whole night here?»

Riri shrugs, «I may have»

Nat stares at Bruce, who has an amused smile on his face.

«Hey, you can't say they are any different» he says.

Nat looks back at Riri, who's still typing furiously, the tip of her tongue poking out of her mouth in a perfect copy of another genius she knows all too well.

«I think I'm having war flashbacks, I can't deal with another brainiac who never sleeps» she mutters pinching the bridge of her nose. 

Bruce is intent on looking at Riri's numbers. For her age, she's pretty smart. Her codes can match his own and Tony's, although-

«You missed a 9 here» he points out and Riri mutters a _shit_ before correcting it.

«I could have sent Scott God knows when»

«It happens to the best of us. How old are you, kid?»

«16» Riri says and only then she looks away from her codes. She extends one hand for Bruce to shake, «It's an honour to meet you Dr Banner, I'm Riri Williams»

Bruce smiles and sits on the chair next to her, «So, how much you've got?»

«I need five more lines and we can try the first jump»

Nat watches on as the two of them work, deciding a moment later to leave them to work in peace. She says so to the two geniuses, who salute her without looking away from their numbers.

\---

Hours later, Steve, Bruce, Riri and Nat are in the lab, Scott is standing in front of the van where the quantum tunnel is, wearing Hank's quantum suit.

«Okay, here we go» Bruce says, «Time travel test number one, Scott, fire up the van... thing»

Scott opens the portal and Riri says, «Breakers are set, emergency generators on standby»

«Good, 'cause if we blow the grid, I don't wanna lose Tiny here in the 50s»

Scott, Nat and Steve give him a panicked look while Riri looks at him as to say _what the fuck, man_. 

«Excuse me?»

«He's kidding!» Riri tells him, at the same time Nat whispers to Bruce, «You can't say things like that!» 

Bruce looks back at Scott, «Just... It was a bad joke» 

«You _were_ kidding, right?» Nat asks with a raised eyebrow. 

«I have no idea, we're talking about time travel here, either it's all a joke, or none of it is» he whispers to her, then talks louder, giving Scott a thumbs up, «We're good! Get your helmet on, Scott, I'm gonna send you back a week, let you walk around for an hour, then bring you back in 10 seconds. Makes sense?»

«Perfectly not confusing» Scott nods, trying to remain calm. If this works, he'd be the first person to time travel and, honestly, how dope is that?

«Good luck, Scott» Riri says and Steve adds, «You got this»

Scott nods again, «You're right, I do, Captain America»

Riri presses some buttons and Scott disappears into the quantum tunnel. Ten seconds later, Bruce presses some other buttons and Scott comes back. Only... he's not quite himself.

«No no, this isn't supposed to happen!» Riri mutters and goes to the computer.

«What's going on?» Bruce asks, at the same time Nat says, «Scott?»

«Yes, it's Scott» he and Riri say in unison.

«Something happened in the tunnel and he somehow deaged» she explain, «I think I fixed it, so I'm gonna pull you back again and when you'll come back you'll be normal» she tells Scott, then under her breath, «hopefully»

What comes back, instead, is an old man.

«Ow, my back!» he moans.

Steve points at him, almost exasperated, «What's this?»

Bruce moves next to Riri, «Wait, let me try»

«Can you bring him back?»

«I'm working on it!»

When Scott comes back for the third time, Steve says, deadpan, «It's a baby»

«It's Scott!»

«As a _baby_!»

«He'll grow!»

«Bring Scott back!» 

Riri moves to the pad again, addressing Nat, «When I say kill the power, kill the power»

Nat nods and walks to the nearest generator.

Riri presses some buttons, then says, «Aaaand... Kill it!» 

Nat pulls a lever and the _actual_ Scott comes out of the tunnel.

«Nice job» a voice says behind them. When they turn around, Tony is leaning on the doorframe, hands in his pockets. 

Tony walks further into the lab, taking in all the equipment, his eyes landing on the van and the tunnel inside it. He studies it for a moment, before speaking, «That's the EPR Paradox, instead of pushing Lang through time, you might've wound up pushing time through Lang. It's tricky, dangerous»

Everybody looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

«Wibbly wobbly timey wimey» Tony and Riri say together.

«Exactly» he grins at her, «and you are...?»

«Riri Williams»

Tony nods, «Sounds familiar, do I know you?»

«She is in the Maria Stark Foundation» Nat interjets.

It seems to dawn on him because the next thing he says is, «Oh yes! The MIT girl, the one of the iron suit»

Riri smiles, surprised. Not even in her dreams she would have imagined that THE Tony Stark would ever know about her little project, let alone her.

Tony goes on, «I've always wanted to meet you, but I've been kinda busy»

«What are you doing here?» Steve interrupts, annoyed.

Tony looks at him for a moment, then turns back to Riri, «I'd love to continue this if it wasn't for Captain Boring here, maybe we can talk later?»

Riri nods and Tony turns his attention fully on Steve. «I fixed it, of course» he says, holding up his hand, where a bracialet-looking device is, «a fully functioning time-space GPS. I just want peace» he brings up his fingers in a peace sign, «turns out, resentment is corrosive, and I hate it»

Steve nods, «Me too»

There's a pause, where Tony looks at them one by one, thinks about the people they've lost in the snap, how he's been relatively lucky because he still has Pepper, and Rhodey, and Nat, and the rest of the Avengers, even Steve. But he also thinks of Peter.

«We got a shot at getting these stones, I hope it works» he says, «and maybe not die trying would be nice too»

«Sounds like a deal»

«Can I talk to you for a sec, Cap?» Tony asks and walks out the room without waiting for an answer. Steve meets Nat's eyes for a moment before following him outside. Tony is opening the trunk of his car and, when Steve comes closer, he takes out the shield.

«Tony...» Steve starts, but the other man interrupts him.

«Why? He made it for you, plus, I don't know what to do with it»

Steve takes the shield and puts it on his arm, its weight comforting after all these years. He turns to Tony, «Thank you»

«Will you keep that a little quiet?» he says, almost conspiratorially, «didn't bring one for the whole team» then hesitates, «we are getting the whole team, yeah?»

Steve smiles, feeling like something has lifted from his shoulders because, yes, they're finally getting the band back together.

«We're working on that right now»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Of course_ I had to leave one of the most chaotic scenes of the movie


	8. Chapter 8

Hours later, they're all reunited in the lab, Nebula, Rhodey, Rocket, Thor and the rest. The only one missing is Carol, said she had to help some refugees find their way back home.

Thor is soft around the middle, his short hair is growing back again since the last time they saw him in Wakanda, and his beard is longer too. He's drinking more, and there's nothing of his usual carefree self that used to cheer up the team time and again. Losing his people and his brother took an heavy toll on him.

Tony, Rocket and Riri are working on the extraction point while the rest explain the plan to the others.

«These are Pym particles» Scott explains holding up a little tube with red liquid in it, «and since Hank Pym got snapped out of existence, it's all we have, plus three backups including this test run» he takes a deep breath, «All right, I'm not ready for this»

From the doorway, Steve speaks, «I'll do it»

\---

They all move to the extraction point, Steve wearing the quantum suit. 

«Now, you're gonna feel a little discombobulated from the chronoshift, but worry about it» Bruce says as Steve takes position.

He's ready to jump, when Rhodey speaks up, «Wait, since we're doing this, you know, go back in time, why don't we just find baby Thanos and, you know...» he moves his hands as to suggest to strangle the baby and Bruce makes a disgusting noise.

«First of all, that's horrible»

Rhodey gives him a bitch face, «It's _Thanos_»

«And secondly,» Bruce goes on, «changing the past doesn't change the future» 

«Look,» Scott intervenes, «we go back, we get the stones before Thanos gets them, Thanos doesn't have the stones. Problem solved» 

«Bingo» Clint agrees.

«That's not how it works» Nebula says, referring to what Bruce said earlier.

«Precisely,» Riri adds, «by changing the past, you create a paradox that creates different futures for all the parties involved even in the smallest way, it's multiverse 101»

«Yeah, remember Back to the Future?» Scott says.

«Or any episode of Doctor Who?» Rhodey adds.

Bruce rolls his eyes and addresses Steve again, «Alright Steve, we jump in 3... 2... 1...»

Steve gets yanked through the quantum realm, colors exploding around him. It lasts one second, then he stands in a dark hallway on a busy street. He looks around, searching for something that would confirm that he traveled through time when his eyes land on a piece of paper next to a garbage can. It's in pretty good condition, and Steve guesses it must not be older than a day or two and a glance on the date on the top left corner confirms it. Bucharest, May 3rd 2016. He actually, honest-to-god, traveled five years back in time. From the corner of his eye, he notices a lone figure passing by. He has his hands buried deep inside the pockets of his jacket and his black hat covers half his face, but Steve would recognize that side profile everywhere.

«Bucky?» he whispers. 2016. Of course. He follows him, calls his name again, louder, but the suit gets him back to the future before Bucky can even have the time to look over his shoulder.

Back at the compound, Steve sits down on the platform, breathing heavily.

Nat is by his side in an instant, «Hey, hey, look at me, you ok?»

Steve nods, trusts the paper in her hands, «Yeah. It worked»

\---

Since the _how_ is taken care of, during the next hours, they all brainstorm the _when_ and the _where_ the stones have made an appearance through their history. Every one of them met a stone at some point of their lives, may it be together, like the Battle of New York, or alone, like with Doctor Strange. Nebula and Rocket fill them in about the ones that never came on Earth, like the power stone («Quill said he stole it from Morag») and the soul stone.

«What is Vormir?» Nat asks her.

«A dominion of death,at the very center of Celestial existence» Nebula says, not caring of mincing her words, «It's where... Thanos murdered my sister»

An awkward silence falls over them, until Riri says, as matter of fact, «So, like, there should be a sacrifice?»

«“Two men enter, one man leaves”» Clint thinks out loud, and when the three women look at him, he says, «you know, Mad Max»

«Yes» Nebula says at last, not getting Clint's reference, «a soul for a soul»

«There must be another way» Riri says, «maybe we can cheat the system»

Silence falls again over them as they think of something, then Clint speaks up, «Maybe I know how»

\---

Clint takes one of the quinjets and flies to New York. He walks into a bar of dobious quality and sits at a table on the far back. He doesn't have to wait more than five minutes that a man walks over to him, red mask over his face and an artillery to put an entire battalion to shame. He sits on the chair across from Clint, mindful to raise the mask just enough to show his mouth so Hawkeye can read his lips if needed.

«Well well well, hello Clinton»

«Hello, Wade» 


	9. Chapter 9

The thing about Wade Wilson is that he's obnoxious, never shuts up and he's a general pain in the ass. He's also very skilled at what he does and intelligent, despite his idiotic comebacks, but when people talk to him, he gives them his undivided attention. 

«You want me to jump for a magic rock?» Wade asks once Clint finishes telling him about the plan to bring everyone back.

Clint raises an eyebrow at him and takes a sip of his drink, «Well, you can't really die, can you?»

«Neither can Logan»

«Yeah, but I don't feel the urge to throw Logan off a cliff like I do with you»

Wade gasps and puts one hand on his heart, «Clint Barton, are you flirting with me?»

Clint rolls his eyes, «So, are you in or not?»

Wade makes a show of thinking about it, finger tapping his chin and gaze upwards, «I do miss Blind Al and the human version of rainbows and glitters that is Dopinder» he looks back at Clint, he grins, «one condition»

«You can't be an Avenger»

«Aw come on» Wade pouts, but when he sees that Clint doesn't relent, he groans, «ugh fine, another condition then»

«Shoot»

«I get to fly the quinjet» then he seems to get another idea, «and I want a chimichanga»

«That's two conditions»

«Do you want my help?»

Clint groans, «Ok, you fly the quinjet and then you'll get your chimichanga _after_ the job is done»

«I'll take it» Wade shrugs, then stands up, «well then, as the kids say nowadays, let's roll»

\---

Clint tells Wade to land the quinjet next to the orange ship in the hangar.

«You have a _spaceship_ and you let me fly a quinjet?» Wade asks incredulous when they step out of the plane.

«Not ours» Clint simply replies, walking into the compound, Wade hot on his heels. 

«I'm sorry, you have _aliens_ in the team now? And I can't be part of it?»

Clint stops in his tracks and turns around to stare at him. «We are the Avengers, they are the Guardians of the Galaxy, they protect the galaxy on their own, or... at least they used to, before the snap»

Wade turns serious, «Oh shit man, so you're telling me it happened allover the universe?»

«Yes» Clint nods, «what we're doing here is trying to not just save the world, but the whole universe»

Wade scratches his head, «This is way above my pay grade»

«And you wanted to be an Avenger» Clint points out sarcastically, walking away.

«Can I?»

«No»

\---

Tony sees it before anybody else through the glass doors of the lab.

«Oh no, not this guy» he groans. Riri doesn't have time to ask him what it is that Wade burst in with an «Alright kids, let's get this show on the road», Clint following close behind.

Wade puts one arm around Tony, «Antonio, long time no see» then salutes Steve, «Captain Rogers»

«Wilson»

Wade looks around the group, «I see new faces, well, I am Deadpool, I'm joining the party because Mr Barton here said I'm the only one who can come out of Vormir alive since I can't really die, and trust me, you don't want to see how my face looks like under the mask, so apologies for the rudeness» then he eyes Rocket, «You guys have a pet?»

«Who you calling pet?» Rocket snarls.

Wade gasps, surprised, «And he talks!»

Rocket whips out his gun from his belt, «Alright, ass face, you said you can't die, let's test that theory»

«How did you know my face looks like an ass?» Wade retorts, spinning his katanas over his head.

«Woah, woah, hey!» Rhodey interjects, «Let's save the universe first and _then_ we kill each other»

As Nebula and Thor try to stop Rocket from ripping Wade's limbs out, Nat touches Clint's arm to get his attention, _Are you sure about him?_ she signs.

_Yes_, Clint signs back, _I saw him die more times that I cared to count and he always got back up._

Nat nods, biting her lip.

Clint touches her shoulder, «Hey, don't you trust me?»

«I do, Clint, but we have only one shot to fix all this mess»

Clint drags her into a hug, «We can do it, alright? We're the Avengers!»

Nat circles her arms around him. She hopes they can. 

\---

Once everyone's calmed down, Scott tells Wade to put on the quantum suit. When he returns, he looks at the people standing in a circle on the extraction point.

«Look at us, we're in a band!» he says.

Steve looks down as a smile forms on his face. At least Wade knows how to ease the tension.

Deadpool notices and claps his hands, «Oh look, I made the Captain smile!»

Steve eyes Wade for a second, then looks at his teammates, «Ok, guys» he says, «three years ago, we lost, all of us. We lost friends, we lost family, we lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. Four teams, six stones. Nat and Thor in Asgard to recuperate the aether, Nebula and Rhodey on Morag before Quill steals the power stone, Clint and Wade on Vormir for the soul stone, the rest with me in New York for the remaining stones. Riri and Rocket, you stay here to monitor the time machine, hopefully nothing bad will happen, but better safe than sorry and you're the most qualified since you've worked on it more than all of us. We'll get one round trip each, except for Clint who'll get three so he can go recuperate Wade after he jumps since he won't be able to move and then back here» Clint and Wade nod, and Steve continues, «No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know, but it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful, look out for each other, this is the fight of our lives, and we're gonna win» Steve meets Tony's eyes, «Whatever it takes. Good luck»

«One last thing,» Rocket says, approaching Clint. He gives him the Benatar, that's been shrunk enough to put it in a pocket, «you promise to bring that back in one piece, right?»

Clint nods, «Yeah, yeah, ok, I'll do my best»

Rocket smirks, but it's not his usual smirk, it's veiled by melancholy, «As promises go, that was pretty lame»

He walks back to the control panel next to Riri, who announces, «Tractors engaged»

Nat looks at her friends, her _family_, «See you in a minute»

Rocket begins the countdown, «Jump in three... Two... One...»

A whiff of air, and they're gone. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gather 'round kids, class starts in five minutes.

** _New York City - 2012_ **

When Tony opens his eyes, he finds himself in an hidden street, not too far from the war. It's the climax of the battle, and if Tony raises his eyes just so, he can see the portal to space. Chitauri are snarling in the sky, destroying whatever comes in their path, and Tony tries to block the noise, breathe through his nose, in and out, in and out, focus on Steve's voice.

«All right, we all have our assignments. Two stones uptown, one stone down» he's saying, «Bruce, you go in the Village, convince Strange to give you the stone, Tony, Scott, get the tesseract, I get the scepter. Stay low, keep an eye on the clock, we'll regroup here once the work is done»

«Wait wait wait wait wait» Tony protests, «why can't_ I_ go convince Strange?»

Everyone stops to look at him, Bruce with a subtle smirk and Steve with a raised eyebrow, and Tony raises his hands, «Just saying»

«Don't worry,» Bruce says, his smirk widening, «I'll tell the doctor you said hi»

Tony glares at him as Bruce starts towards Bleecker Street. Once he rounds the corner, Scott asks, confused, «Can someone tell me what's going on?»

«No time, little guy, we got stones to grab» Tony says, walking towards Stark Tower. Steve shakes his head, then follows him, along with Scott.

\---

Even though it's far away from the main battle, Bleecker Street is chaos, with debris and alien corpses scattered allover the floor. The Sanctum Sanctorum, though, stands tall and untouched in 177A, as if the war around it didn't even notice it, invisible to alien eyes, and when Bruce reaches for the door handle, he finds what seems to be a force field around it. Precautions. Bruce can't blame Strange for wanting to protect the building from destruction.

_Well then_, he thinks looking up, he went through the roof once, he can do it again. He turns into the Hulk, flexing his muscles, and jumps, landing on the roof, where a woman is casting spells left and right. He decides to leave her to it and go look for Strange inside.

«I'd be careful going that way» she says without looking at him, «we just had the floors waxed»

Bruce turns to her. She's wearing a yellow robe with a hood, her hands move fast, moving away and exploding every single thing that threatens to crash into the building.

«Ma'am, I'm looking for Doctor Strange» he says.

«You're about five years too early» the woman explains, plunging a Chitauri vessel three floors down, «Stephen Strange is currently performing surgery about twenty blocks that way» she says, pointing East, then turns around, «What do you want from him?»

Bruce notices her necklace, the one Strange wore when they met, the one with the stone, «That, actually»

«Ah!» she exclaims, touching two fingers to the Eye of Agamotto, «I'm afraid not»

«Sorry,» Bruce says, «but I wasn't asking»

The Ancient One shakes her head, «You don't wanna do this»

«Ah, you're right, I don't,» Bruce says, moving to grab the necklace, «but I need that stone, and I don't have time to beat it-»

With a swift movement, the Ancient One pushes Bruce's astral form out of the Hulk's body, leaving him to stare at it, horrified.

The Ancient One stares at the Hulk, then looks up at him, an hairless eyebrow raised, «Let's start over, shall we?» when Bruce doesn't talk, she continues, «I know you're not from here, Dr Banner, or, well, not from _now_, and I know this isn't the first battle Earth will endure, nor the last, one the Avengers are involved in anyway, so I ask you, why go all the way back here, when there are plenty of opportunities to get the time stone and avoid what happened?»

«Because we didn't know then»

«Bruce,» the Ancient One says, staring in the distance, where the portal to space is closing, «If I give up the time stone to help your reality, I'm dooming my own»

Bruce walks, or, _floats_, closer, «With all due respect, I'm not sure the science really supports that»

The Ancient One looks at him for a moment, then creates a golden line with her finger, the Infinity stones forming a ring around it.

«The Infinity stones create what you experience as the flow of time,» she says, «remove one stone and that flow splits» the line splits in two when she grabs the time stone, forming a second line, black, «Now, this may benefit your reality, but my new one, not so much. In this new branched reality, without our chief weapon against the forces of darkness, our world will be overrun. Millions will suffer. So, tell me, doctor, can your science prevent all that?»

«No, but we can erase it,» he takes the fake stone from her fingers, puts it back with the others, and the black line disappears, «because once we are done with the stones, we can return each one to its own timeline at the moment it was taken. So, chronologically, in that reality, it never left»

She looks at him, still not totally convinced, «But you are leaving out the most important part» she argues, «in order to return the stones, you have to survive»

«We will» Bruce insists, «I will, I promise»

«I can't risk this reality on a promise. It is the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to protect the time stone»

«Then, why the hell did Strange give it away?»

«What did you say?» she asks, surprised.

«Strange» Bruce repeats, «he gave it away, he gave it to Thanos»

«Willingly?»

«Yes»

The Ancient One considers his words, then, «Why?»

«I have no idea» he shrugs, «maybe he made a mistake»

«Or I did» she returns Bruce to his Hulk body and opens the Eye of Agamotto, «Strange is meant to be the best of us»

«So he must have done it for a reason»

«I fear you might be right» she says, giving him the time stone.

Bruce takes it, «Thank you»

«I'm counting on you, Bruce, we all are»

\---

Meanwhile, at what will soon be the Avengers Tower, Tony regains consciousness, finding Scott hovering over him.

«Oh my god,» he exhales, «I thought you were dead»

Tony sits up, «Trust me, Thumbelina, you'll need something worse than a rampage Hulk to kill me» then he looks around, «the gem?»

«Thor took the case before I could» Scott replies, apologetic.

Tony runs one hand over his face, «Right» he groans.

«That wasn't supposed to happen, was it?»

«Well, now it did» Tony says. He can feel his memories of this particular time change to accommodate this new version, the heart attack coming from nowhere, Thor using his hammer as defibrillator, the case sliding on the floor and Thor grabbing it before his brother or Pierce could touch it. He shakes his head and stands up, «Let's just hope Bruce and Rogers had more luck»

\---

When Steve reaches the rendezvous point, he finds Scott and Tony sitting in a broken car.

«Sorry, buddy» Tony says once he spots him, «we got a problem»

They explain what went down with the tesseract, and how it's probably back on Asgard now.

«Well, what are we gonna do now?» Steve asks once they're done.

Tony rolls his eyes, «You know what? Give me a break, Steve, I just got hit in the head with the Hulk»

«We had one shot, this was our shot» Scott says, starting to get angry, «We shot it. It's shot. Six stones or nothing. Six stones or nothing» 

«You're repeating yourself, you know that?» Tony points out, «You're repeating yourself»

«You're repeating yourself. You're repeating yourself. You know– no.»

Tony sighs, «Dude, come on»

Their banter goes on for another couple of minutes when Steve interrupts.

«Are there any other options with the tesseract?» 

«No,» Scott says, «no, no, there's no other options, there's no do-overs, we're not going anywhere else. We have one particle left. Each. That's it, alright? We use that, bye, bye, you're not going home» 

«Yeah, well, if we don't try, then no one else is going home, either»

«I got it!» Tony says, an idea forming in his head, «There's another way to retake the tesseract and acquire new particles» he approaches Steve, «we'll stroll down memory lane. Military installation, Garden State»

Steve stares at him, understanding dawning on his face, then asks, «When were they both there?»

«They were there at a...» Tony tries to remember, «I've a vaguely exact idea»

«How vague?»

Still standing near the car, Scott asks, «What are you talking about? Where are we going?» but neither man pays him attention.

«I know for a fact they were there...»

«Who's they?» Scott tries again, «What are we doing?»

«...and I know how I know»

«Guys, what's up? What is it?»

«Well, it looks like we're improvising»

«What are we improvising?»

Finally, Steve addresses him, passing him the scepter, «Scott, get this back in 2021» then to Tony, «Suit up»

«What's in New Jersey?» Scott asks again.

«0-4...» Tony squeezes his eyes shut, remembers what he read on his father's journals, «uh, 0-7... 1-9-7-0»

«Are you sure?» Steve asks at the same moment Scott says, «Cap? Captain? Steve.» Steve turns to him, «sorry, America. Rogers. Look, if you do this, and this doesn't work, you're not coming back»

«We will, trust me,» Tony reassures him, «tell Bruce we'll meet back at the compound» he turns back to Steve, «Do you trust me?»

Steve nods, «I do»

«Your call»

«Here we go»

A blow of wind, and Scott is left alone in a back alley in the aftermath of the biggest alien war he's ever seen.

\---

** _New Jersey - 1970 (detour)_ **

When in 2021 Camp Leigh is a hole in the ground since Hydra dropped a bomb on Steve and Nat in 2014, in the 70s it's full of people, scientists, agents and soldiers alike. Tanks, jeeps and revs ride the dusty roads where once soldiers trained for the war. Steve never thought he'd see it buzzing with activity again.

«Clearly, you weren't actually born here, right?» Tony is saying at his side, pulling him back to reality.

«The idea of me was»

«Right» he peers into a window passing by, «Well, imagine you're SHIELD, running a quasi-fascistic intelligence organization. Where do you hide it?»

Steve stares at the bunker, where two men are entering, trying to look casual, «In plain sight»

Tony follows his line on sight and activates the xray function of his glasses, finding out an hidden elevator.

«Well, Cap» Tony says, «lead the way»

Five minutes later, they're riding the elevator to the lower levels of the bunker occupied by SHIELD offices.

«You go take the particles, the tesseract is mine» Tony says fumbling with his sleeve, where his nanotech suit is hidden and Steve nods.

Tony is the first one to get out, sending Steve a two fingers salute. «Good luck on your mission, Captain»

The underground lab of the facility is silent and dark. There's no one there, except for some machinery and various containers.

«Ok, if I were a cosmic cube where would I hide?» Tony mumbles, looking in one container and the next using the xrays, when he notices blue light coming from one, «Gotcha!» he sees a briefcase and grabs it. A gauntlet forms on his hand and he uses the lasers to open the container, then grabs the tesseract, putting it in the briefcase, when a voice sends shivers down his spine.

«Arnim, you there? Arnim?»

Tony closes the case a little too loud and Howard turns to him. He must have noticed him because he calls, pointing at the opposite direction Tony is going, «Hey! Door's this way, pal» and Tony slowly turns to him, eyes downward.

«Looking for doctor Zola» Howard goes on, walking closer, «have you seen him?»

«Yeah, doctor Zola, no, I haven't- haven't seen a soul» Tony says, hoping for casual, and for Howard to walk away, but his father doesn't leave him.

«Do I know you?» he asks.

«No sir, I'm a- a visitor. From MIT»

«Oh, MIT» Howard smirks, «got a name?»

«Uh... Stephen» Tony replies, the first name coming to his mind.

«Stephen what?» Howard asks again, coming closer still.

«Potts»

«Well, I'm Howard Stark» he says, extending one hand. Tony flinches slightly and if Howard notices, he doesn't mention it. Instead, he waits for Tony to shake his hand.

«You look a little green around the gills there, Potts» Howard comments.

Tony leans back. The further he is from his father the better. This was the one thing he hoped wouldn't happen, because of all the shit he went through, Howard Stark is sure as hell in the top three. 

«I'm fine» he lies, «just, long hours»

Howard rises his eyebrows in what seems to be sympathy, «You wanna get some air?»

«Yeah, that... That would be swell» Tony says, walking the way he came.

«Need your briefcase?» Howard asks, passing it to him.

«Yeah, thanks...» Tony says and they walk together to the elevator.

«So, flowers and sauerkraut, uh?» Tony asks as a way of conversation. _Relax_, he thinks, _you don't know the man and he doesn't know you. Not yet at least._

«Yeah» Howard says, looking at the bouquet in his hand, «my lady's expecting»

Tony raises his eyebrows. _Which one?_ he wants to ask. The man has always been a dick, to him and to his mom, and he's pretty sure he has a sibling or two somewhere in America, if not around the world.

«Well, congratulations» he says instead, hoping his smile looks real.

«Thanks» Howard smiles back and they fall silent.

\---

At the same time, Steve successfully lured Hank Pym out of his lab with the excuse of some glowing package being delivered. When the coast is clear, he comes out of his hiding spot and walks into the laboratory, looking for Pym particles, finding them in some sort of container. He grabs two tubes and gets out before Pym could understand the trick and come back.

In the corridor, though, he overhears a guard talk in his radio about a possible break and that they're looking for two intruders. Steve casually walks into a room and waits for the guard to pass by, when he notices a photo of himself before Erskine injected him the serum on a desk. On the glass panel of the door, written backwards from where he's standing, the words _Margaret Carter, Director_ greet him. When he turns around, he freezes in his spot. On the other side of the window, Peggy Carter is saying something he can't quite grasp to a man he's never seen before. She's reading a file and her lips move fast, like when she's giving an order. Her hair is growing grey, her laugh lines more accentuated than 1942. She turns on her heels and exits the room, followed by the man, and Steve thinks how would have been the years after the war if he didn't throw himself in the ice. Would they meet at a bar, celebrating V-Day, asking themselves, what now? Would they get their dance? Or would they meet in another life, one without World War II in the middle, maybe singing a bad version of _Any bonds today?_ by Barry Wood and the Lyn Murray Singers with the Howling Commandos? Sometimes he misses that life, misses his friends, all gone now. Dum Dum was the last one to go. He went to see him, with Nat and Sam while on the run. He liked Nat best and was fascinated by Sam's wings. They talked about their time in the battlefield that night, Dum Dum wished to never see something like that ever again for the rest of his life if he could help it.

«But you never grew out of it» he commented.

Steve shrugged, «It's my brand now»

Dum Dum laughed, finished his beer and wished Steve good night and good luck. He died two weeks later.

Tony's voice coming from the coms brings him back to reality, «Cap, do you copy? I really hope these things work all the way back in the 70s, but if you're done I'd like you to come meet me, things are getting hot here»

Steve composes himself before replying, «I'll be right over»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. So. My god. The way Tweedledum and Tweedledee put this giant time paradox in the movie ugh I really, _really_ tried to find a way around it because if Loki escaped God knows where back in 2012, he shouldn't be there in 2013, right? It's Time Travel 101! It's what every movie/show about time travel says, because if he escaped somewhere with the tesseract, Thor couldn't bring him back to Asgard because he _lost_ him!  
Anyway, bottom line, if you want to write something like Endgame and want to put time travel in the middle, at least do your homework.
> 
> Side note: fuck you Howard Stark, I don't believe it one bit the _you did what you could_ bullshit because wbk Tony hates his father.
> 
> Peace out.


	11. Chapter 11

** _Asgard - 2013_ **

God knows how the stories praise the beauty of Asgard, but nothing is like the real thing. People see a castle and think it's regal but this, _this_ is what regal actually looks like, Natasha thinks, looking at the columns and corridors of the asgardian royal palace. She let's out a _wow_ and Thor grins beside her, clearly pleased with her reaction.

«Pretty amazing, uh?»

«Are you kidding?» she gapes, «This is even better than any story I've read about!»

«I'd give you the tour if we weren't in a hurry»

«Right, the mission» she says, following Thor in a corridor.

They pass cell after cell, holding monsters she can't even start to comprehend, until Thor stops abruptly. On the other side of the invisible wall, Loki is throwing cup, catching it, over and over, seemingly oblivious to his brother staring at him from outside.

Nat touches one hand on his arm, gently, «Thor...»

«Natasha, I-» he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath. The last words he said to Loki ringing in his ears. _You really are the worst, brother_. «Please, I have to do this»

Nat smiles, sympathetic, «I understand» she says. She knows the pain of losing a sibling, if she had a chance to talk to Yelena again... «I'll be right there» she points at the wall between two cells some feet away and Thor thanks her. He turns to his brother.

«Loki» he calls and Loki turns to him, his arm bent, ready to throw the cup again.

«Brother» he smirks, putting it down and walking closer, «how are you here?»

«I took the stairs» Thor tries, but he knows nothing can fool his brother.

In fact, Loki rolls his eyes, «Come on, Thor, I can smell the future on you from here»

«Tony built a time machine» Thor says, then.

«Ah, yes» Loki sighs, looking at the ceiling, «Stark, always curious, that one» he looks back at his brother, «and why are you here? Surely not to see me» there's a hint of hurt in his voice and Thor wishes more than anything to hug him, even if Loki would never let him.

«I wanted to see you, I-» he stops, feeling his voice breaking. He takes a deep breath and tries again, «When Thanos comes,» the look of pure horror on Loki's face doesn't go unnoticed, but Thor presses on, «please, for the love of everything, don't let him find you, run, cast a projection, I don't care, but _please_ hide from him. It's the only thing I ask of you»

«Thanos» Loki whispers. Thor never saw him so frightened. «And... How? When?»

«You'll know» Thor just says, «I can't say more, I'm sorry, I have to go»

Loki leans on the magic field of his cell, staring at the back of Thor's head as he walks away. «Hey, come back here, I'm the one who speaks in riddles in this family»

But Thor has already walked out the room, Nat by his side.

They stop behind a pillar in a spacious corridor, and Nat asks, «You alright?»

«Yeah» Thor nods, «yeah, I'm fine»

Nat opens her mouth to add something, when they hear voices coming from the door that opens to the side, and Thor moves her further behind the pillar to conceal her from whoever is coming through.

They see Frigga talking to her handmaidens, Thor can understand bits of her conversation as they walk the other side to where they're hidden.

«Who is she?» Nat whispers.

«That's my mother. She... She dies today»

«Oh» Nat says, «it's today?»

Thor moves away from the pillar, vigorously shaking his head, «I can't... I can't do this, I shouldn't be there, I shouldn't have come, this... This was a bad idea» he says through ragged breaths.

Nat is at his side in an instant. She's seen enough panic attacks to last her a lifetime between Tony and even Steve sometimes, «Hey hey hey, come here» she says quietly when Thor dodges her, repeating _this was a bad idea_ over and over, «Thor, look at me, you're safe» she smiles when Thor's eyes meet hers, «breathe with me, will you? In and out, in and out, good, like this»

They keep breathing together until Thor seems to calm down a little.

«You ok?» she then asks.

«Yes, I'm... I'm sorry»

She smiles at him, «Hey, don't worry, it happens. Ready to go?»

«Yes, come on»

Nat follows Thor to the room where Jane is staying. They stop and hide once more when they see Frigga again, dismissing her handmaidens, she then moves somewhere opposite Jane's quarters, hidden from Nat and Thor's view. A moment later, someone speaks behind him.

«What are you doing?»

Thor yells, making Nat yell and, consequently, Frigga too.

«You're better off leaving the sneaking to your brother» she laughs, then turns to Nat, «It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Romanoff»

This up close, Frigga is even more beautiful and ethereal, her golden locks holding the sun like a halo. She notices how her smile resembles Thor's, but there's something else to her, something that Nat can't quite pinpoint, an aura of mystery.

«Likewise, ma'am» Nat says at last, still mesmerised by Frigga's person.

«I suppose you're here for a quest»

«Mom» Thor starts and Frigga puts one hand on his cheek, shushing him. Then she turns to Nat, takes her hands in her own, «You go on, dear, I need to speak to my son»

Nat looks a Thor, who nods slowly, then back at Frigga, «Thank you, ma'am»

Frigga squeezes her hands reassuringly, then turns back to Thor as Nat walks to Jane's room. She finds her facing the big window on the far end of the room, moving her hands the same way Nat saw Wanda do when she casts a spell. Nat closes the door silently, then clears her throat. Jane turns to her, and the sky goes dark for a split second before returning to its usual clear blue. _She's afraid_, Nat thinks, _afraid of what's inside her_.

«Dr Foster» she says, slowly approaching, to not scare her further, «I'm agent Romanoff, I-»

«I know who you are» Jane interrupts, «I saw you in New York, you were with Thor»

«Yes, the Avengers, we saved the world» Nat smiles, hoping to put her at ease.

Jane moves to the bench and sits on it, «I guess I should thank you guys for what you did» then she eyes the extractor, «What's that thing?»

Nat looks at the device, then back at Jane, «Oh, this... Look, Dr Foster, I'm not really from here, and I know about your situation, with the aether and everything, and I need it, _we_ need it»

«And you think you can get it with that thing?» she asks, pointing at the device, «Not even Odin with his magic was able to extract it»

Nat sits next to her, «I know, Thor told me, but it's worth a shot»

Jane looks at her, pondering. After what feels like hours, she extends one arm, «Do it then, I want this thing out of me as soon as possible»

Nat delicately takes her arm, positioning the extractor over it but not activating it yet. She puts the thumb on Jane's pulse point, feeling it going a mile a minute.

«Jane,» she says softly, «I need you to stay calm, I promise it won't hurt»

«It's not me» Jane whispers.

«Ok» Nat murmurs, nodding her head. She stares at Jane in the eye, then jabs the spikes of the extractor in her arm, making her gasp. The sky turns dark again, but this time, it lasts longer. The lights in the room go from a soft yellow to a dark red, and Jane's eyes turn black like a starless night. As soon as it began though, it finishes, and Nat closes the extractor, admiring the red liquid swirling inside it.

«You lied» Jane says, cradling her injured arm.

Nat shrugs, apologetic, «I had to, I'm sorry» she stands up, «thank you for your time, Dr Foster» and walks to the door.

«Wait» Jane calls and Nat turns to look at her, «you never told me why you need that»

«Trust me» Nat smiles, «the less you know the better»

And with that she's out the door.

\---

Nat finds Thor where she left him, still talking to his mother. She decides to give them some more time and hides behind another pillar. 

«You're no idiot» she's saying, «you're here, aren't you? Seeking counsel from the wisest person in Asgard»

Thor smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes, «I guess, yeah»

«Idiot? No. A failure? Absolutely»

Thor scrunches his nose up, «That's a little bit harsh» 

«You do know what that makes you? Just like everyone else»

«I'm not supposed to be like everyone else, am I?»

She cups his face with her hands, «Everyone fails at who they are supposed to be, Thor, the measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are»

«I really missed you, mom» Thor says and his voice breaks.

That's when Nat decides to come out of her hiding spot, «Thor, I got it» she says, showing him the aether.

Thor and Frigga look at her, then Thor tells his mother, «Ma, I have to tell you something»

«No, son, you don't, you're here to repair your future, not mine»

«But this is about _your_ future» Thor insists.

Frigga shakes her head with a knowing look, «It's none of my business»

A single tear falls from Thor's eye, «I wish we had more time»

«No, this was a gift» Frigga says, wiping it, «and you're going to be the man you're meant to be»

Thor touches his forehead with hers, «I love you, mom»

«I love you» Frigga smiles, «and eat a salad» then she adds in a whisper, «Goodbye»

«It was a pleasure, Your Majesty» Nat smiles at her. She gets ready for the jump when Thor stops her.

«No, wait!» he says, holding out his hand.

The two women look on as Thor waits for Mjolnir. A couple of minutes pass before it flies into his hand.

«I'm still worthy» Thor exclaims, stupor and happiness in his voice.

«Of course you are» Frigga says, and Nat adds, «You'll always be worthy»

Thor hugs Frigga one last time, then he and Nat jump back to 2021. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the Yelena part, blame twitter that put the idea in my head :/


	12. Chapter 12

** _Outer space - 2014_ **

Once upon a time, Morag was inhabited by an advanced humanoid population which name has been lost centuries ago. Looking at it now, one may say it's just a rock floating in space, kinda like Pluto, but Nebula explained that the planet was submerged by oceans due of climate change, and every 300 years, the waters retreat and that's the result. This also reveals the temple the inhabitants built for the Orb, and where the power stone is.

Clint takes the shrunk Benatar from his pocket and expands it using the button Scott gave him. Nebula steps in and, once she's back outside she explains that the coordinates to Vormir are already been put in, they just have to take it off the ground.

«Take that stone and come back, no messing around» Rhodey says, clapping Clint on the shoulder.

Clint nods, resolute, «We got this, see you back at the hq»

And with that, he and Wade enter the ship.

«I never thought a spaceship would look like a normal jet» Wade comments looking around as they reach the cockpit, «I was expecting something like Star Trek, I am disappointed»

Clint sits on one of the two chairs near the commands, «Makes it easier to fly, no?»

«I guess...» Wade mutters, sitting on the other chair.

The flight is not too long, especially since Wade shuts up for the whole trip, except one small remark about how he's never been to space once (“I've been to literal Hell, and never in space, can you believe it?”).

Differently from Morag, Vormir has fields of sand illuminated by a dark sun. Further away, Clint sees somewhat of a building, its twin towers high in the purple sky. He lands the Benatar, shrinking it back with a second button and putting it in his pocket again. Wade stretches beside him, groaning in the process.

«You up for a little hike?» Clint asks him.

«Aw shit» Wade says, «I didn't bring my birdwatching equipment»

«Don't worry, I don't think you'll need it here»

The closer they get, the more Clint sees how what he saw in the distance isn't a building per se, more like a mountain, and at the top, the towers stand sentinel to the vast nothing of the planet's desert. They rest for a while before climbing the mountain, and, once up there, they see behind the towers, a floor of levigated stone, like a platform, and over that, nothing.

«I bet the raccoon didn't have to climb a mountain» Wade says, breathing heavily.

«Technically, he's not a raccoon»

Before Wade can retort, a voice speaks behind them, a German accent marking the words, «Welcome»

Both Clint and Wade whip around, weapons drawn, and the owner of the voice shows themselves.

«Wade, son of Hailey. Clint, son of Edith»

«Oh my god, it's a dementor!» Wade exclaims, «Is this Azkaban?» he asks looking around.

«Wade!» Clint admonishes through gritted teeth, but Wade doesn't listen.

«Let me tell you, you'll starve trying to suck my happiness since I lack in that»

«A dementor? No» the figure says, moving closer, «Consider me a guide. To you, and to all who seek the soul stone»

As he comes out of the shadows, his face is revealed. A red skull. His body concealed by a black floating cape. 

«Yikes, dude, you fugly» Wade says, but the guide pays his comment no attention.

«Alright then,» Clint says, lowering his bow, and Wade does the same with his guns, «tell us where it is and we'll be on our way»

«Ah, liebchen» Red Skull sighs, «if only it were that easy...» he leads Clint and Wade to the cliff, «What you seek lies in front of you, as does what you fear» 

«The stone is down there» Wade says, matter of factly.

«For one of you, for the other...» Red Skull trails off, «In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love, an everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul»

«Yeah yeah, alright, we know the drill» Wade says, positioning himself between Clint and Red Skull, making the latter step back, «So, what do we do? Rock, paper, scissor?»

Clint gives him a look that says _you know what to do_ and Wade rolls his eyes, «You're no fun, Barton» he looks down, makes a scene to take a deep breath. «Maximum effort» he mutters, then jumps.

There's a boom in the sky, a bright light ascending the heavens, then Clint wakes up in a pool of water. He opens his hand and there, bright orange, is the soul stone. He puts it in the small container Tony and Rocket made to hold the stones and then writes the coordinates to go get Wade. Miraculously, he's still alive, even though an height like that would kill anyone foolish enough to jump. Wade weakly finger guns him as Clint checks the stone, still there, then he hauls Wade up, holding him as he sets the date for 2021. A breath of wind, and they disappear.

\---

Meanwhile on Morag, Rhodey and Nebula are hiding behind a rock waiting for Quill to appear. Nebula said that he'd be there in minutes.

\---

On the other side of the universe, on Sanctuary II, Ebony Maw suddenly stops.

«Sire,» he calls, «do you feel it? There's a disturbance in time»

«What kind of disturbance, Maw?» Thanos asks. 

«Something...» Maw says, sniffing the air like a dog, «Something is not from around here» he flex his fingers, «on Morag»

Thanos turns, his gaze landing on Nebula. He wishes for Gamora, his far more talented child, but he guesses Nebula could do too.

«Daughter» he calls and Nebula kneels instantly. Being loyal to him is the only good thing she can do.

«Yes, father?»

«Go to Morag, see what's the disturbance Maw felt»

With her brand new eye, he thinks, she can project him whatever she sees. 

«Yes, father» and with that, she's gone. 

\---

Just then, Quill appears, dancing to a song he's badly singing.

«So he's an idiot» Rhodey comments and Nebula fights a smile with no success. She would never admit it, but she misses him, misses _them_.

They get out of their hiding spot and Rhodey hits Quill, who falls on the ground, unconscious. They make their way to the Orb and, thankfully, they don't find "booby traps" as Rhodey called them. Nebula forces her metal hand inside the force field to take the Orb, melting the exterior, leaving her with a metal skeleton. She looks at Rhodey, who's staring back at her.

«I wasn't always like this» she says.

He gives her a small smile, «Me neither, but we work with what we've got, right?»

She nods minutely. It's the first time someone would look at her without pity or sympathy in their eyes, only understanding.

They suit up, ready to jump. Rhodey sees it before Nebula, but it's too late, the time-space GPS sucking him through the time vortex. Before Nebula can follow him, someone hits her from behind and for a split second, she thinks it's Peter. Before it all goes dark, though, she looks up, staring at her own face.

\---

Nebula follows her future self and the terran to the temple. She sees how they recuperate the Orb and waits for the right time to attack. As the terran disappears, Nebula sneaks behind her future self, knocking her unconscious, and searches her for the Orb to no avail. The terran must have it. She opens the side of her head, where machines are whirring and connects it to her own head with a wire, reading her memories. She sees unknown faces, but she feels their trust. She learns their names, along with their plan to get the stones. Thanos will be delighted to know they did his job for him. She disconnects herself and stands up, looking in disgust at her future self and what she's become. Before going back to the Sanctuary, she takes her knife and uses it to get the golden plate on her head, positioning it on her own, then takes the little tube with the red liquid. Then, just for measure, she decides to tie her future self up and bring her to the Sanctuary too. She goes back to her ship, a smile on her face, waiting for the reward Thanos will give her upon knowing of her plan.


	13. Chapter 13

** _Sanctuary II - still 2014_ **

Nebula walks up her father's chair, giving him the red tube she found on Morag. Thanos stares at it, a question in his eyes that Nebula soon answers. A time device, that's how they created the disturbance Maw felt. 

«You did good, daughter» he says, once Nebula finishes. She kneels, something like pride on her face.

«Bring this to Maw, tell him to do what he must to bring us to the gems»

«Yes, father» Nebula takes the tube back and does as she's told. Minutes later, the Sanctuary flies through a blue vortex and out in the sky, hovering over the Avengers compound in 2021.

Thanos looks around, sees the world as it should be. Perfectly balanced.

«Go,» he tells Nebula, «mingle with them, bring me the stones»

Nebula nods, once, «What about you, father?»

«I'll be waiting» he says, stabbing the ground with his double bladed sword. Nebula goes to walk toward the building, when Thanos' voice stops her, «and, Nebula,» she turns around to look at him, «do not disappoint me»

\---

** _Avengers compound - 2021, minutes before_ **

The Avengers reappear exactly one minute after they left the compound. All of them except one.

«Where's Nebula?» Tony asks, looking past Rhodey.

«Someone ambushed her» Rhodey explains, «I tried to warn her, but the vortex sucked me back before I could have the chance»

Riri walks closer, «The stone?»

Rhodey takes the container where the stone is and passes it to Rocket, «I have it»

«Everyone has their stone?» Tony asks them. It's followed by a chorus of _yes_ and _yeah_, and then Tony starts giving orders, «Alright. Bruce, Riri, Rocket, go to the lab, there must be some pieces of Iron Man armor laying around, attach the stones to a gauntlet»

Bruce nods, «On it»

He walks towards the shop, Riri and Rocket in tow, and Tony turns to Steve, «In Pym's lab, how many tubes did you get?»

«Just the two for us» Steve replies, apologetic.

«Alright, of course» he turns to Scott, «are there any tubes left here?»

«Just one» Scott says.

Tony claps his hands, «Perfect, we can synthesise it and make at least other two, and...»

«Tony» Scott interrupts, «I appreciate the enthusiasm, but Pym particles are extremely volatile, one miscalculation and it all goes to shit»

«Scott, let me tell you something» Tony says, putting one arm around him, «I never work well in teams, usually the teams I work with are, you know, a little more armor-y and with an ai implanted in their heads, but if I learned one thing during the years I spent with the Avengers, is that nobody gets left behind, no matter what, we look out for each other»

Scott looks at him, about to argue more, but then something in his eyes changes, and he nods, «Ok» he says, «I'll go grab it, help you with that» he walks the other direction Bruce, Riri and Rocket disappeared, and Tony feels a pair of eyes boring into his skull. He turns to find Steve staring at him, a small smile on his face.

«What?» Tony says, smiling back, «You know our strengths, I know our brains, it's how it works»

«I know» Steve nods, his smile bigger, «I missed that»

«I missed that too»

Just then, Scott reappears, holding the little tube. He passes it to Tony, «Here»

Tony takes it, but before he can say anything, Rhodey calls Nebula's name. He turns and, honest to god, there's Nebula walking to them, but there's something different in her step. Nat is the first one to approach her, throwing her arms around her neck. Nebula stiffens a fraction, confusion marking her face, but before she can react, Nat leans back.

«Rhodey said you were ambushed, we were ready to get you backup» Nat says with a chuckle.

«Yes» Nebula says, and it's almost mechanical, soldier-y, «I defeated them»

Beside him, Rhodey whispers, «Tony»

«Yeah, I see it too» Tony says in the same tone, still staring at Nebula. «Go to the lab, tell the others, especially Rocket, to not let her anywhere near the stones»

Rhodey nods and takes Nat to the side, and explains her what he noticed. Nat just nods, a smirk on her face that says _you really thought I wouldn't notice_, and Rhodey shakes his head, amused, before moving towards the lab, leaving Nat to talk to the others.

«Nebula!» Tony says, walking closer. He puts one arm around her shoulders and steers her away from where Rhodey is walking to the lab. «We missed you there for a sec, come on»

«The stones-» Nebula protests, but Tony interrupts her, «Don't mind them, we have other things to do»

\---

Deep in the Sanctuary, Gamora looks out the window, watching as her sister walks towards the building far ahead. She turns, staring at the other Nebula, the one from the future. She can sense something is different about her, something changed. She approaches her.

«Tell me something» Gamora asks, «what happens to you and me?»

From where she's restrained, Nebula looks up at her, a challenge in her eyes, «I tried to kill you. Several times»

Gamora rolls her eyes but Nebula doesn't mind her, and her voice becomes softer when she says, «But eventually, we become friends. Sisters»

Gamora stares at her. She'd be lying if she said that's not what she wanted them to be. Sisters, not by blood, but by circumstances, both taken too young by a murderer who killed their planets, who made them fight each other for his own amusement. She walks behind Nebula and frees her hands.

«Come on» she says, «we can stop him»

Nebula takes the hand Gamora offers her.

\---

Not long after, they're all gathered in the lab, Rocket holding the red gauntlet with the stones.

«Where is other Nebula?» he asks.

«She's with Wilson» Tony replies, «told her to check on him, see if he's healing right»

«If she's really not our Nebula, she's gonna kill him the moment he says more than two words, you know that right?» Nat asks, arms crossed.

Clint snorts, «It wouldn't be the first time for him»

«Alright, that's gonna at least keep her busy,» Rocket nods, «question is now, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?»

From where he's eyeing the glove, Thor says, «I'll do it» he moves closer, taking the gauntlet in his hand, but everyone tries to stop him. 

«Wait, wait, Thor» Steve walks closer, «hold on a sec, we haven't decided who's gonna put that thing on»

«We should at least discuss it» Scott adds.

Thor looks around the room, «No, no, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. At the moment, I'm the strongest Avenger, so unless Carol doesn't walk through the door right now, this responsibility falls upon me, it's my duty»

«Thor, it's not about that...» Tony says, pleading, but Thor doesn't want to hear it.

«Stop it, just let me» he can feel tears forming in his eyes, «just... let me do it, just let me do something good, something right»

«Look...» Tony tries again, «It's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you're in no condition» 

«What do you-» Thor eyes him, «What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?»

«Cheez Whiz?» Rhodey asks, one eyebrow raised.

Thor shakes his head, a smile on his face he hopes looks genuine, «Lightning!»

«Lightning won't help you, pal» Bruce says, he turns into the Hulk and grabs the gauntlet, «It's gotta be me»

They all look at him, about to protest, but Bruce goes on, «You saw what those stones did to Thanos, it almost killed him, none of you could survive» 

«How do we know _you_ will?» Steve asks, careful.

Bruce shrugs, «We don't, but the radiation's mostly gamma, it's like I was made for this»

Tony opens his mouth to say more, about what can and _will_ happen to him because, Hulk or not, if the stones almost killed a Titan, they will probably pulverize a mere human, but instead he says, «Good to go, yeah?»

Bruce nods, «Let's do it»

«Remember everyone Thanos snapped away three years ago and just bring them back to now, today» Nat recommends, «don't change anything from the last three years» 

«Got it»

Everyone in the room gets ready for what's about to happen. Tony and Rhodey suit up, while Steve holds his shield high enough to protect both him and Nat, Clint moves behind a shield Tony made on his own, using the nanotech of his suit, and Thor moves Rocket behind him.

«Friday,» Tony calls, «do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol, will you?»

«Yes, boss» Friday's mechanical voice comes through the speakers and heavy metal panels slid down the doors and the glass of windows and walls, putting the whole building in lockdown.

«Everybody comes home» Bruce whispers to himself and puts on the gauntlet, the nanobots expanding to accommodate his hand. Lightning comes out of it, making Bruce kneel to the ground, grunting in pain.

Somewhere to his right, Thor is yelling to take it off, and Steve's voice comes a little more distant, like a in dream, asking his if he's ok. He also hears Tony's voice, telling him to talk to him, and Bruce menages to reply that he's ok, even though he feels far from ok. Bruce screams again, fighting the pain cursing through his vein like fire, and, at last, he snaps his fingers. He falls to the ground, feels the gauntlet sliding off his arm, and a metal sound like it's been kicked. In an instant, his friends are all around him. He can feel Steve take his hand and call his name at the same time Tony orders to not move him and then a freezing sensation on his injured arm.

Weakly, still holding Steve's hand, Bruce asks, «Did it work?»

Friday lifts the metal panels, and Scott walks to the nearest window. He sees a bluebird fly on a branch of a tree that wasn't there just few hours ago. He smiles. They did it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not me fixing another time inconsistency because if 2014!Nebula gave the Pym particles to Thanos how come she was able to be in the compound in 2023 to let the Sanctuary go through the extraction point? She couldn't, unless Thanos has his own time machine so she could use the particles for herself.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy one year anniversary to me watching Endgame for the first time 👏👏👏

«For how much long will we still wait?» Proxima Midnight asks. They've been standing there, on this filthy planet, doing nothing, for minutes.

«Patience, Proxima» Thanos says for the umpteenth time and she suppresses the urge to roll her eyes, «Nebula is in there, taking the stones. Once she's back, we attack»

Proxima snorts, «How long does it take to grab them, if you sent me, we would-»

«Silence» Thanos interrupts. He doesn't yell, doesn't scream, but Proxima shuts up nonetheless. Thanos never yells, always talks with the most even voice, and that is somehow scarier. «She's the only one they know, the only one who could complete the task»

And with that, silence settles once again.

It's not long after that Proxima sees a movement from the corner of her eye. Some feet away, where once there was nothing, specks of dust are coming together, forming a tree seemingly out of nothing. Not too far away, dust comes together again, forming, this time, a butterfly.

«Father...» Proxima says in a whisper, looking as Thanos stares at the world returning to what it most likely was before the stones.

He stays silent for a moment more, then he orders, calm, «Corvus, prepare the cannons»

\---

At the compound, Riri burst through the door where the Avengers just returned the universe to what it was, her phone raised. «Guys» she says, tears of joy in her eyes, «you did it! My friend Xavier, he...» she stifles a sob, «He disintegrated, he just called me on the phone»

Still holding Bruce's hand, Steve starts laughing. He laughs, he just can't help it, his first genuine laugh in three years. Rocket soon joins him, but he's not sure if it's maniacal or happy, and Thor raises his thumbs in victory, eyes shiny with tears. Clint and Nat hug each other, and Tony and Rhodey fist bump. Bruce looks around, still laying on the ground, and when his eyes meet Scott's at the window, he sees a missile heading their way.

«Everyone take cover!» he screams, sees Scott shrink moments before the blow hits the window, followed by others, making the building fall on itself and the Avengers with it.

Bruce is quick to hold a massive chunk of debris before it collapses on Rhodey, Rocket and Nat.

«Guys, get out of here» he orders and the colonel gets out of his armor to help Nat get Rocket free of some debris, but as soon as he is, water engulfs them, dragging them down further.

«Mayday mayday» Rhodey calls, «does anybody copy?»

One level up, Scott replies, «I'm here, I'm here, can you hear me?»

«Scott, we're in the lower level, it's flooding, we're drowning»

«I'm coming! I'm coming!»

\---

In the sewers, Clint groans standing up. He hopes he didn't break any bone. He looks around, not finding anybody except the gauntlet. It still has all the stones attached, but before he can take it, he feels the floor trembling beneath him. Footsteps. Someone's coming his way. Ever so slowly, he reaches for an arrow, cocking it and turning around fast, only to find what can only be called infernal dogs, their six limbs crawling the sewer walls, some feet away. He shoots, hoping to distract them, then grabs the gauntlet and runs the opposite direction, the monsters chasing him.

\---

Outside, Tony walks up to Steve, who's seemingly unconscious. He nudges him with his foot, «Come on buddy, wake up» Steve opens his eyes and Tony smirks, «That's my man» he holds up the shield, «you lose this again and I'm keeping it»

Steve smiles and takes the hand Tony is offering him. He looks around, «What happened?»

«You mess with time, it tends to mess back, you'll see»

They walk up to Thor, who's observing Thanos from the highest level of the now destroyed compound.

«What's he been doing?» Tony asks.

«Absolutely nothing» Thor replies.

«Where are the stones?»

«Somewhere under all this» Tony says, gesturing to the mess around them, «all I know is he doesn't have them»

Steve nods minutely, «So we keep it that way»

«You know it's a trap, right?» Thor says.

«Yeah» Tony sighs, «and I don't much care»

«Good» Thor says and a thunder rumbles in the distance, «just as long as we're all in agreement» his eyes turn blue as another thunder, closer this time, rumbles and he extends his hands. A moment later, both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker fly into his hands and lightning hits him, transforming his clothes into his armour and cape, making him look like the warrior he is, the one that made his enemies cower in the shadows in the past.

«Let's kill him properly this time» he says and all three of them walk up to the Titan.

Thanos is sitting on a rock, his double bladed sword in the ground. He's alone, but they know it's too simple, they know his minions are somewhere, either hidden or looking for the stones.

«You could not live with your own failure» Thanos says, calm, a smirk gracing his face, «and where did that bring you? Back to me» he looks at them one by one, «I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive, but you've shown me that's impossible, and as long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist»

«Yep, we're all kind of stubborn» Tony quips but Thanos doesn't mind him.

«I'm thankful. Because now, I know what I must do» Thanos stands up, puts on his helmet, «I will shred this universe down to its last atom, and then, with the stones you've collected for me, create a new one teeming with life, but knows not what it has lost but only what it has been given. A grateful universe»

«Born out of blood» Steve says, matter of fact.

Beside him, Thor's eyes light up again, this time, brighter.

«They'll never know it» Thanos says, taking his weapon, «because you won't be alive to tell them»

The three heroes look at each other, a mutual agreement passing behind their eyes. _Let's kill this son of a bitch once and for all._

\---

Meanwhile, Clint comes out of the sewers, reaching what was the lab where Bruce snapped. He looks around, noticing Nebula near a wall that's miraculously still up.

«Nebula!» he calls and she turns to him. He goes to pass her the gauntlet but someone stops him.

«Clint, don't!»

When he looks over, he sees another Nebula, followed by a green skinned woman. Where the first Nebula has the orange plate Tony made her, this Nebula has the cogs visible, and that's when it clicks. He clutches the gauntlet in his hands, but past Nebula kicks him in the stomach, making him double in pain, and the glove goes flying in her hands.

«Stop!» the green woman yells, showing herself and past Nebula falters for a moment.

«You're betraying us?» past Nebula says, confusion written allover her face.

«You don't have to do this»

Nebula shakes her head, «I _am_ this!»

Gamora walks closer, «No, you're not» she says, voice soft.

«You've seen what we become» Nebula tries.

Past Nebula looks between them.

«Nebula, listen to her»

«You can change»

«_He_ won't let me» past Nebula whispers. Then, in a swift moment, she takes the gun from her belt and points it at Gamora, who raises her hands, scared. Before she can pull the trigger, though, Nebula trips her, disarming her and pointing the gun at her.

«Nebula, stop!» Riri yells from where she was hiding behind a desk, «Don't do it, you kill her, you cease to exist»

Nebula just cocks her gun, eyes never leaving her past self, «I don't see where's the problem»

«Nebula» Riri tries again, walking closer, «you don't have to do this, we can lock her up and bring her back to her time, I can even build something to erase her memories, please»

Nebula doesn't budge. Instead, she takes aim, her finger trembling on the trigger.

Riri gently lays one hand on the gun, «Think of Rocket and the rest of the Guardians, think of your sister» she then looks over at the other woman, «You're her, right? You're Gamora» when she nods, Riri looks back at Nebula, «Do you really want to erase all of that?»

Nebula breathes deeply. She lowers her gun. «Get me something to tie her up» she says, «no ropes, she knows how to get free from that»

\---

The battle is raging outside. Tony hits Thanos with a bolt of energy with Thor's help, but Thanos twirls his blade, diverting it. Thor then throws Mjolnir in the air, hitting it with Stormbreaker, but the Titan uses Tony, who moved closer in the meantime, as a shield before throwing him some feet away. Steve round-kicks him in the face, and Thanos hits him on the shield, making him fly on a rock not too far away, then throws his blade at Thor, who dodges it, ending up at Thanos' feet, Stormbreaker held high, ready to strike. He soon gets beaten up too, loses the grip on Stormbreaker, and when he calls for it, Thanos grabs it first, trying to bury it in his chest.

Some feet away, Mjolnir starts to float off the ground and flies on Thanos' shoulder, before flying back. Thor smirks at the scene before him, a muttered "I knew it" following Mjolnir's whoosh. Steve Rogers, the kid from Brooklyn who put papers in his shoes and wanted to fight the biggest war humanity ever saw because he didn't like bullies even if he wasn't suited for the army, is worthy of the hammer.

Steve charges, swinging Mjolnir until it connects with Thanos' chin, knocking him off his feet, but the Titan doesn't relent. He stands up again, and Steve throws both his shield and the hammer. He doesn't give Thanos time to hit back, swapping between the shield and Mjolnir, summoning the power of the lightning too. Eventually, though, Thanos gets up, grabs Steve by the throat and slams him down on the ground. He grabs his double bladed sword again, stabbing Steve on the leg, who groans in pain, and knocking Mjolnir out of his hand. He then starts hitting Steve over and over again, until his shield is ripped in half, before making him fly several feet away.

He looks at the three heroes who dared to come against him, a sadistic smile on his face. «In all my years of conquest» he says, «violence, slaughter, it was never personal. But I'll tell you now, what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet, I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much»

Beams of light hit the ground as Thanos' army materializes all around them. Chitauri, demon dogs, and other things they could never imagine in their wildest nightmares.

Steve takes a deep breath, his mother's words echoing in his mind, "Because, and you listen close, Steven, you always stand up". He tightens the shield on his arm, when a crackling sound comes through the coms.

«Hey cap, can you read me?» _it can't be..._ «Cap, it's Sam, can you hear me?» Steve puts his hand on the earpiece. «On your left»

Behind him, a yellow portal opens, and T'Challa, Okoye and Shuri come out of it, followed by Sam flying above them. All around, more and more portals open, revealing all heroes and warriors. An army is forming, from anywhere in the universe.

Somewhere, Stephen Strange asks, «Is that everyone?»

Before Wong can answer, a woman lands next to him, her white hair flowing in the wind and purple light around her fists. «Now it is»

Stephen smirks at her and Clea smirks back.

They all stand in formation. Humans, aliens, Asgardians, Wakandans, wizards and Jabari. Captain Marvel lands in the space between Steve and Tony.

«So nice to finally join us, Danvers»

«Please» Carol smirks, «as if I'd let you have all the fun»

Out of the corner of his eye, Thor sees a movement, and a second later, green and gold fill his vision.

«Am I late to the party?»

«Loki» Thor gasps, tears forming in his eyes and a huge smile on his face.

Loki smirks, «I _do_ listen sometimes, brother»

Then Scott, in all his 109 feet, emerges from the rubble of the compound, Bruce, Rhodey, Nat and Rocket safe in his hand. 

«Avengers...» Steve calls.

Tony closes his face plate as thunder rumbles in the distance, Thor's eyes glowing blue of his power. Quill materializes his helmet, cocking his guns and Clint and Nat share a look. Further back, Jessica Jones cracks her knuckles and Danny Rand makes his fist glow, T'Challa's claws come out of his suit and the Dora Milaje get in combat position with their spears, Johnny Storm flames on and Masters of Mystic Arts everywhere conjure shields, ready for battle. Thanos takes a step back, afraid.

Steve smirks as Mjolnir flies into his hand. «... Assemble!»

Thor and T'Challa make a battle cry as they charge, followed by the others. Thanos raises his sword, and his army, too, charges against their enemy. Everyone battles everyone on the biggest war the universe has ever seen, with the Earth as its stage. Up in the air, Tony lets out a joyous _whooho_ as Pepper joins him in blasting the bad guys with her new armor.

«I see you found my birthday present» Tony smiles once they're back on the ground, «don't say I never get you useful stuff»

Pepper looks at him, annoyed, but there's mirth in her eyes.

Behind him, Peter breathes, «Mr Stark!»

Tony's face lights up as he turns around, his arms wide open, «My favorite young adult!»

«Holy cow!» Peter exclaims, «Did I miss anything cool?»

«You're back, that's the cool part» Tony says, «You remember Pepper, right?»

«Oh, hi» Peter smiles and Pepper smiles back, «Hi» she says, then Peter turns his attention back to Tony, «So, do you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? I must've passed out, because I woke up, and you were gone, but Doctor Strange was there, right? He was like, "It's been three years, come on, they need us" and then he started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does all the time, and-»

But he doesn't go further, because Tony mutters, «Come here» and hugs him.

Peter is shocked at first, but then he hugs back when Tony squeezes him tight. Yeah, that's the coolest part, the only important result that could ever come out of this shit show.

\---

Somewhere, Peter Quill is calling his teammates one by one, making sure they're back, including Stark and Parker. When he sees Gamora walking behind Nebula, he stops. He walks closer to the two women. Nebula just stares at him, unimpressed, while Gamora seems slightly confused.

«Gamora» Peter whispers, «I thought I lost you» he moves his hand to her hair, but before he can touch it, she grabs his wrist and twists hard.

«Touch me and you'll lose it» she threatens.

«Ok» Peter nods, groaning in pain, «I won't do it again»

Gamora shoves him down, then turns to her sister, «This one? Seriously?»

Nebula shrugs minutely, «The choices were him or a tree»

\---

Not too distant, the Avengers, including AntMan, the Wasp, Okoye, Deadpool, Black Panther, Valkyrie and Rocket, regrouped.

«Hand is safe» Clint says, «Let's get rid of this damn thing»

«Good» Tony sighs, patting him on the shoulder, «good job»

The rest of the Guardians join, and Scott says, «Anybody seen the van?»

Spider-Man raises one eyebrow at him, «I don't think we're driving out of this, buddy»

«No, kid» Nat says, «it's what's _in_ it»

«Pym's original quantum tunnel» Hulk explains.

«That's right» Tony says, «we put the stones in the tunnel and we just drop it in the Quantum Realm, he'll never find it»

«Whoa, pal» Quill raises his hands, «I don't know what happened in the meantime, but what do you hope to accomplish with that?»

«Nothing» Tony simply says, «but it will buy us time»

«Great, yeah» Rocket nods, «but there's no way that piece of crap survived all this»

«We'll see» Scott mutters, fishing the keys out of his pocket. He pushes one button and a car horn blares in the distance.

«Anyone seen an ugly brown van up there?» Steve asks.

Bucky's voice comes over the earpiece, «Yeah, but you're not gonna like where it's parked»

Up in the air, Carol says, «It's surrounded by Thanos' army, I cant see a blind spot anywhere»

«Leave that to me, Captain» Stephen says from where he's fighting a group of chitauri.

Steve nods, then turns to Scott, «How long you need to get that thing working?»

«Maybe ten minutes»

«Get it started, we'll get the stones to you»

«We're on it, Cap» Hope smirks.

«Yeah» Scott nods, then he turns to Hope, «See, now you call him Cap too»

«Everyone get in position» Steve orders.

«Magic wielders with me» Stephen says, «Masters of Mystic Arts, protect the Avengers. Clea, let's mess with their minds»

«Go go go» Steve says and everyone starts running. Scott and Hope shrink and fly in the direction of the van. Only Tony stays behind.

«Hey, you said three years ago that in 14 million outcomes only one wins, tell me this is it»

Stephen stares at him a few seconds, debating if he should tell him everything, but instead he opts for, «If I tell you, it won't happen»

«Great, love that cryptic aura you got there doc» Tony says sarcastic, and when Stephen slowly floats away, he yells, «welcome back, anyway, asshole»

On the battlefield, Clint rushes through the outsiders, but he's soon surrounded.

«Clint!» someone says to his left. He turns his head and finds T'Challa, «Give it to me»

Clint throws him the glove, and T'Challa grabs it without effort, then starts running towards the van. His suit glows purple, and when the aliens start closing in on him, he jumps, knocking a great portion of them out, but also getting Thanos' attention. On himself and the gauntlet. Thanos starts walking towards his direction, but he's stopped by Wanda Maximoff landing in front of him, her eyes glowing red of rage.

«You took everything from me»

«I don't even know who you are»

«Oh, you will» she says. She starts floating, few debris flying behind her, before being thrown at him, trying to crush him. Thanos doesn't go down easily, in fact, he flings his sword at her, but she pushes it away with one hand before it can come too close. She decides to change tactic, and tries to crush Thanos with her bare hands instead. She almost does, making him kneel in pain, but before she can strike the final blow, Thanos orders to rain fire. A moment later, all the cannons are directed towards the Earth, and they start shooting.

«Everyone who can cast a spell, make a protective shield» Stephen orders, then sees the dam break and he's fast at stopping the water before it can flood the battlefield.

Meanwhile, T'Challa is surrounded by the demon dogs as he looks for a way out.

«Hey, your majesty,» Wade calls, flailing his arms to get his attention, «yoo-hoo, I'm free over here»

T'Challa throws him the gauntlet and Wade sprints away, but he's soon stopped by Corvus Glaive, who smirks down at him. Just then, Peter Parker swings by with a "I got it!"

Wade passes him the gauntlet, raising his thumb, «Hey kid, sick costume»

«Thanks, man» Peter says, and swings away. He gets far enough, before he, soon, gets surrounded by the leviathans.

«Help! Somebody help!» he cries out.

«Spider-Man!» Riri yells, flying over to him, «Over here!»

Peter throws her the gauntlet and she drives the jets of her suit to the maximum power, dodging the cannons from both above and on the ground.

But then, seemingly out of nowhere, the ships' cannons turn upwards, shooting at something.

«What the hell is this?» Sam says at the same time Tony asks Friday what they're shooting at.

«Something just entered the upper atmosphere» the ai replies and just then, a blast of blinding light destroys one of the biggest ships, making it crash-land in the lake.

«Hell yeah!» Rocket screams as Nova touches down.

«Son of a bitch» Quill chuckles, approaching, «Richard Rider as I live and breathe»

They hug and, when they part, Richard asks, «Anything new I missed?»

«Ah, you know» Peter shrugs, «just a few aliens here and there»

Meanwhile, not too far away, Riri lands some yards from Scott's van. «I have eyes on the van, how is it going, Scott?»

«It's dead, I'm hot wiring it»

Proxima Midnight steps in front of Riri.

Without looking away from her, Ironheart says, «I can buy you some time»

«You think you can go through me, child?»

Before Riri can answer, Carol speaks from where she's floating above her, «Oh, don't worry»

«She's got help» Okoye adds, getting in combat position. One by one, the superheroines appear around her. Pepper, Nat, Wanda, Hope, every one of them ready for battle. Proxima smirks, and gives a silent order to her troops to attack, and the women charge, all of them taking on an enemy, chitauri, leviathans, outsiders.

Thanos, seeing the commotion, joins in too. He sees Riri flying past him with Carol, the gauntlet in her hands. He sees where they're going, so he throws his sword at the van, destroying it and throwing both Captain Marvel and Ironheart backwards, making the gauntlet fly in the process. It lands at his feet, and he grabs it. But before he can put it on, Carol takes hold of his fist, punching him with her free hand over and over. Thanos takes hold of her arm and flings her away, but Carol is on her feet again in seconds, giving him the time to put on the gauntlet, but she soon attacks again. She stops his fingers from snapping, opening his hand. He headbutts her, but it does nothing. On response, she raises up, forcing Thanos to his knees. He pulls the power stone and punches her, making her fly some feet away. She lands near Stephen, who floods some of Thanos' troops with the water from the dam. Further back, Tony looks up from Carol at him, and the Sorcerer Supreme slowly raises one finger, a knowing look on his face. Tony stares at him, and that's when he understands what he must do to end this. With a heavy heart, he nods.

Thanos is about to snap again, but Tony quickly grabs his hand, and Thanos punches him away.

Finally, Thanos looks around at the so called heroes who tried to stop him, a victorious smile on his face. «I am inevitable»

He snaps, and for the longest moment, nothing happens. Confused, he turns his hand, stares with horror at the empty slots where the stones should be. He looks back at Tony, who's struggling to hold their power, lighting cursing through his arm as he breathes heavily.

Tony stares at Thanos, notices a movement behind him. He smirks, «Surprise motherfucker. Now, Nebula!»

Thanos doesn't have time to turn around that Nebula beheads him with a battle cry. His body falls on the ground, his purple blood staining the ground beneath. It's over.

Tony looks around the battlefield. No, it's not really over, it's actually far from it, because until Thanos' minions are still around, they're never gonna win. He spares one last glance at Carol, who's coming closer, telling him to take that thing off. She's panicking, and understandably so. He looks over a Pepper, who's fighting a giant gorilla, and Peter, who's webbing a leviathan. He takes a deep breath. He snaps. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter yet wow and I tried to make it as epic as the scene was watching it the first time (and the second, and the third,...)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the angst

There's a blinding light, then one by one, Thanos' minions start to disintegrate.

Slowly, weakly, Tony moves to a rock, leaning on it. The arm that held the stones is dead, the nerve-endings burned out that he doesn't feel anything on that side. A circle formed around the fallen Titan. Every hero, terran and non, look on at Iron Man, who's struggling to stay awake.

Rhodey approaches first.

«Hey, Tones» he whispers, tears in his eyes.

Tony just looks at him. He smiles faintly, eyes starting to unfocus. Rhodey bows his head, words failing him looking at the state his best friend is in. He feels Carol's hands on his shoulders, and moves away. She crouches down, a sad smile on her face.

«Why don't you ever listen to me?» she says, but there's no heat behind it, «Promise me you won't leave me, Tony, I'm not gonna let you go this easily»

«No promises» Tony says in a whisper.

Just then, Peter walks closer, taking in the scene in front of him.

«Mr Stark!» he rushes to him, and Carol moves to give him space, «Hey, Mr Stark» tears start to form in his eyes, «can you hear me? It's Peter. Hey, we won, Mr Stark, we won» he repeats again and again, his voice trembles, «You did it, sir, you did it» Tony just stares at him, and Peter puts his hands on his neck, «I'm sorry» he says, voice breaking, «Tony-»

He feels a pair of hands taking his shoulders and steering him away as Pepper takes his place.

«Hey» she whispers, gaining a small smile from Tony. «Friday?»

The ai's voice sounds too loud in the silence that settled around them, «Life functions critical»

Pepper stifles a sob and asks Tony to look at her. 

Peter looks around, searching for Stephen in the numerous faces surrounding them. When he spots him, not too far away, he walks up to him.

«Can you save him?»

«I can't mess with time»

«You can't-» Peter repeats, hands on his hips and eyes to the sky, blinking back tears. He takes a deep breath and looks at the sorcerer again, «You already messed with time, all this happened _because_ we messed with time!»

«But this has to happen»

«Oh for fuck's sake, you're a _doctor_!» Peter screams, tears finally falling, «Or is it just a fancy name to go with your outfit?»

«Peter-» Nat says, soothing, but he just raises his hands in exasperation and moves away.

«I'm sorry, Miss Romanoff, I-» he says, running one trembling hand down his face.

Stephen looks over at Pepper sobbing quietly, her forehead on Tony's shoulder. He thinks of the various outcomes, how this would be the only one where they come out victorious, the sacrifice it took for them to win. But then again, he didn't go further on this particular future because Tony woke him up from his trance. He looks back at Tony, his arc reactor is slowly fading, the blue light blinking under Pepper's hand.

«Captain Rogers» he calls and Steve stands beside him, waiting for orders. «Pick up Stark, slowly, bring him to me»

Steve nods and does as he's told, softly shaking Pepper, who just leans back, her eyes never leaving Tony's form. Steve lowers him at Stephen's feet, who kneels beside him, and when Steve moves away, he calls for Mantis. «Put Stark to sleep» he tells her, «and keep him asleep until I'm over with it, Miss Minoru» a girl about 18 years old steps up, holding a staff with a golden ring on top it, «steady my hands»

«I... I don't know, my spells wear off after a while, I can't-»

«Nico» Stephen interrupts her rambling, «you can do it, you're one of the most powerful magic wielders I know, remember, _you_ control the magic, _you_ control the Staff, feel it, you can do it, I'd do it myself but for the extent of this damage I should put all my energies into healing him and let him survive»

Nico nods and holds the Staff above his hands, «Steady hands» she orders and a warm light comes out the ring. Stephen flexes his fingers, not feeling any pain in the nerves and bones. Good. He uses the Eye if Agamotto as xray and gets to work, restoring the nerves as best as he can with the help of magic. It goes on for hours and everyone whose life Tony touched in one way or another is holding their breath. The original Avengers, including Peter, Rhodey, Carol and Pepper, formed a smaller circle around them, giving them the space they need, as they look down at the surgery going on. Nobody dares to utter a word, scared to disturb the quiet that fell around the now destroyed compound.

After a while, Stephen is the only one to break the silence, «We need to cut the arm»

Thor steps up, Stormbreaker held high, but Stephen stops him with one hand.

«Nico» he simply says, and the girl moves the Staff's attention to the axe, «Sterilize» she says, and the Staff accomplishes. Stephen nods at him and Thor strikes, cutting Tony's arm at shoulder height and Stephen cauterizes the wound. He then looks at Mantis, «Wake him up»

Mantis leans on Tony's face, whispers, «Wake up» and takes her hands off his temples.

For five, excruciating seconds, nothing happens. Then, slowly, Tony's eyes flutter open, moving back and forth between his friends.

«Oh my god!» Pepper gasps and throws herself at him, sobbing uncontrollably. All around them, everyone erupts in cheers and applause, and Nico, subtly, mutters a "fourth of July" and fireworks light up the sky in the most brilliant colors.

Tony gives Stephen a grateful look over Pepper's head and the sorcerer's mouth lifts up in a small smile. He closes his eyes, hugs Pepper tighter. They won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it, I saved him 😭✋🏻


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to fix Steve's ending wohoo!

After killing Thanos and his army, the stones were of no use anymore, so Steve volunteered to bring them back to their time. Stephen portaled everyone to Tony's farm, included their first model of time machine, that Rocket and Bruce restored, while the other Masters of Mystic Arts brought home the rest of the heroes, the ones who didn't leave for space anyway.

Bruce, Steve, Bucky and Sam are in the woods not too far away from the cabin, Steve wearing the quantum suit and Bruce behind the control panel attached to the pad.

«Now remember» Bruce says, «you have to return the stones to the exact moment you got them, or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities. You got the particles?»

Steve pats the pocket where the two tubes are, Scott's leftover one and another Hank Pym gave them, «Yeah»

Before Steve can jump, though, Sam comes closer, «You know, I can come with you, if you want»

Steve smiles at him, «Thanks Sam, but this one's on me»

Sam pats him on the shoulder, and Steve walks up to Bucky. 

«Don't do anything stupid until I get back»

Bucky chuckles, «How can I, you're taking all the stupid with you»

Steve hugs him tight, and when they part, Bucky smiles at him. God, he missed that smile. He walks up the platform, suitcase with the stones in one hand and Mjolnir in the other. He suits up and Bruce prepares the time machine.

«How long is this gonna take?» Sam asks.

«For him as long as he needs, for us just five seconds» Bruce replies, then turns to Steve, «Alright, I'm gonna send you to 1970, then you use the tubes for the other years, and then I'm gonna get you back from 2014, sounds good?»

Steve nods, and Bruce starts the countdown. He disappears in a whirlwind of colors, and then Bruce starts again, «Returning in five... four... three... two... one...»

But there's no sight of Steve. Five more seconds pass, then another five, and Sam asks, bordering on panic, «Where is he?»

«I don't know» Bruce says, pressing various buttons on the panel, «he blew right by his time stamp, he should be here»

«Well, bring him back!»

Bruce tinkers with the panel some more, before Steve reappears on the platform, holding only the empty suitcase in his hand, and breathing heavily. Bucky is the first one to approach. He takes a good look at him, then he punches Steve on the shoulder with his flesh arm and hugs him. «You're late, punk»

Steve hugs back, closes his eyes, buries his face in Bucky's neck.

Sam pats him on the shoulder and laughs when Bruce mutters, «Idiot, scared the crap out of me»

Steve disentangles himself for Bucky, and joins Bruce behind the panel. He smiles at him apologetically before taking the shield from where it's propped against it and walks back to Sam. The other man's eyes go from Steve to the shield and back to Steve, and he understands.

«Steve-» he says, but the other man stops him with a raised hand.

«Come on» he says, «at least try it on»

Sam looks over at Bucky, who's smiling. He nods, and Sam takes the shield and holds it like he saw Steve do so many times.

«How does it feel?»

«Like it's someone else's»

Steve chuckles, «Well, it isn't»

«Steve, I...» Sam starts, trying to hold back tears, «Thank you, I'll do my best»

Steve squeezes his shoulder, «That's why it's yours»

Sam nods, resolute, then looks up at Bucky again, who's been silent the whole time. He holds the shield higher, as to ask him what does he think.

Bucky raises one eyebrow, «Looking good, Wilson»

«Better than you, that's for sure, Barnes»

They laugh, and even Bruce joins in.

«Come on,» Steve says when the laughter has died down, «let's join the others»

\---

The Stark-Potts cabin isn't big enough to host heroes, terrestrial and non, and that's why the festivities are taking place in the big area between the building and the beautiful lake right in front of it. Doctor Strange created a portal and everyone went through it, obviously, and Tony almost felt bad for using the guy as their personal uber driver. Almost. Because, as it is, he might have asked him for a tiny little favor (as if saving his life wasn't enough) but the wizard may have a soft spot for him because he just nodded and opened a portal to Tennessee, and confused Harley Keener came through, hugging Tony the moment he saw him.

«I saw people reappearing» he says, «and I haven't heard from you, I-»

«Hey, hey, breathe» Tony interrupts, leaning back to look better at him, «I'm ok, never been better, actually»

«Tony» Harley says, like he's talking with a five years old.

«Harley» Tony says back in the same tone, «It's not your job to worry about me, your job is making _me_ worry about you, and try to get in the college of your dreams»

That makes Harley smile and Tony takes it as a victory. «Come on» he puts his arm around Harley's shoulders, «I want you to meet someone»

Tony leads Harley to where Peter is talking to Riri some feet away, still in their suits.

«Guys» he calls and the teens stop and look at him, «this is Harley. Harley, these are Peter and Riri»

Harley holds out his hand to Peter, saying, «It's nice to finally meet you»

Peter takes it, «Same here, man»

Then Harley turns to Riri, «And you, god, I knew there was someone that could outsmart him» he says, pointing at Tony.

«I am _deeply_ offended right now»

Harley pats Tony on the shoulder, «Sure you are, old man»

The two teens laugh as Tony playfully rolls his eyes, then Harley asks, «What were you guys talking about?»

Peter starts to explain how he's thinking to make new, more resistant and elastic web fluids, and Tony decides to leave them at it.

He walks up the two steps of his house, looking at the heroes mingling on his front lawn. Even the Guardians decided to stay and take part in the celebrations. He sees Bruce, Steve, Barnes and Wilson come out of the woods, Sam holding Steve's shield and smiling at both him and Bucky. He sees Deadpool talking with Strange and Wong, probably asking them about magic, if Stephen's annoyed face is anything to go by, and Rhodey and Carol whispering to each other, their foreheads touching.

«Ten years ago you said you didn't have what it takes to be a hero» a voice says behind him, «look at what you did now, you think that's not what a hero would do?»

«Mh» Tony chuckles not turning around, «and where have _you_ been, director Fury?»

«I was dust up to some hours ago» Fury simply replies and they fall silent. After a moment, Nick speaks again, soft, «I'm proud of you, Tony, I always knew what you were capable of»

«Thanks, Nick»

Nick squeezes his shoulder and disappears the way he came.

«Can I have your attention, please?» Tony calls after a moment, and when everyone stops and looks at him, he continues, «Wow, so many people» he chuckles, «we've been a long way since our first mission to save the world back in 2012 and we've seen some weird stuff in the meantime, but what we did today? We saved the _universe_ and that's enough superhero stuff to last a lifetime in my opinion. What I'm trying to say is, I will retire, for good this time. I know, I know, the world needs its Iron Man, I've heard plenty of this in the past three years, from random people, the news, the internet, but don't worry» he looks at Riri, «they're about to get something way better» Riri smiles and he mirrors it, then he looks around, «I will sponsor young heroes with King T'Challa and Captain Danvers' help, who's also opening a training center with agent Romanoff» he raises his drink, the others following suit, «To a new generation of heroes, literally» he says, looking at Peter, Riri and Shuri, «and figuratively» he adds looking at Sam with the shield propped on his leg.

«Hear hear!» Wade says and the others parrot him.

«And one last thing» Tony adds, approaching Pepper, «what about that wedding?»

There's cheers all around, and Pepper looks at him, surprised, «Tony, I-»

Tony takes her hand in his, «Come on, everyone's here, even the aliens!»

«Hey!» Quill exclaims somewhere to his left, causing few laughs here and there.

«But the rings, everything-» Pepper goes on.

«Hey, doc» Tony interrupts again, looking at Stephen, «can you make rings with your magic? I don't know, from a dying star or something»

«That's not how it works» Stephen smiles, making complicated gestures with his hands, as a golden light moves around them. When it subsides, he opens his palm to reveal a couple of white rings, golden, elegant swirls decorating them.

«Wow» Tony says, taking them, «you sure you don't do this as side job?»

Stephen laughs softly and rolls his eyes as Tony thanks him.

«The officiant?» Pepper asks, fond and exasperated.

Tony smiles at her, then holds the rings to T'Challa, «Your Highness, do you mind?»

«Not at all» T'Challa smiles, taking the rings from him and positioning himself in front of the couple.

«Rhodey, be my best man?» 

Rhodey nods and moves next to Tony, squeezing his shoulder in the process.

«What about-» Tony starts, but it's Pepper's turn to interrupt him, «Natasha?»

«It'd be an honor»

«Well, then» T'Challa starts with the sermon, and Tony leans close to Pepper.

«I know this is not how you pictured it» he whispers.

Pepper squeezes his hand, to stop the rambling that's about to come, how he'll start saying sorry, but she doesn't want to hear any of it, not right now. «No, it's better» she says, a soft smile on her face that puts Tony at ease. Because, yeah, she wouldn't have it any other way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was promised a wedding and I'm getting a wedding.


	17. Epilogue

Celebrations are in full swing after the Stark-Potts wedding. Tony went back to the house to grab more drinks for everyone, with Happy and his wife's help. Wow. _His wife_. Pepper is his wife. He can't believe how incredibly lucky he is to have a woman like her love him so much to the point of marrying him. He smiles softly, watching her talk with Nat and Clint, when someone calls behind him. Tony turns around, finding Bucky Barnes walk closer, a wounded expression on his face.

«I just wanted to say, I'm sorry»

«No» Tony shakes his head, «it wasn't you, I read the files, I can't blame a guy who's been brainwashed for years by a nazi organisation»

«Still, I-»

«Sergeant» Tony interrupts, «you seem like a great guy, and I bet if I asked Rogers and Wilson, they'd say the same, as would T'Challa and his sister. You did what they made you do, and for how I see it, you're a victim too»

Bucky stares at him. He wasn't expecting this, not after what happened in Siberia. He holds out his hand, and Tony looks at it before shaking it, he smiles faintly and Bucky can see in his eyes how tired he is, of what exactly, he's not sure. Then Tony looks over his shoulder, and his smile widens a little.

«Seems like someone wants to talk to you» he says, «good talk, Sergeant Barnes»

«Bucky is fine» he says, out of habit, as Tony pats his shoulder and walks away. One moment later, Steve moves in front of him, where Tony was, a little confused.

«What were you two talking about?» he asks.

Bucky waves him off, «Nothing you have to worry about»

Steve regards him for a moment, then decides to not pressure him on it and changes topic, «You remember Peggy Carter, right?»

Bucky tries to remember, he knows that name, thinks hard where he heard it, then, «The gal from the war?»

«Yeah» Steve looks down at his drink, «I went to see her, in the 70s»

«Oh» Bucky says, deadpan. He wonders why Steve would bring that up. «And how was she?» he asks, trying to sound genuinely curious about her fate.

«She was good» Steve shrugs, «she got married, you know»

When Steve looks up at him, Bucky has a weird expression on his face.

«What?» he asks.

«Just...» Bucky licks his lips, «you never wished you stayed in the past, avoided everything that happened?»

«Bucky, you're not making any sense right now»

«Steve, you two had something...» 

Steve puts his drink down to fully face him, «She moved on, we both did, there's nothing for me there, and I wasn't lying when I said I'm with you til the end of the line» 

Bucky stares at him, and stares at him, until something snaps and throws his arms around Steve's shoulders, who's fast at hugging him back. «I lost you already three times, Bucky, and I fought literal countries for you, I'm not gonna leave you» he whispers.

Bucky just hugs him tighter. Nobody would do something like this for him, nobody _did_, not until Steve found him again and saved him from Hydra the second time anyway.

When they part, Steve doesn't move his hand from his shoulder. «What do you think?» he asks looking at Sam talking to T'Challa.

Bucky follows his line of sight, «He is a good man, you did the right choice, Stevie»

Steve smiles softly at the old nickname, moves closer to Bucky, «Yeah, I think so too»

\---

Not too far, Harley nudges Riri with his shoulder. «So, new Iron Man, uh?»

Riri scrunches up her nose, «I prefer Ironheart. I have a project in mind of a new suit, lighter and more aerodynamic, I just need materials»

«Where did you get materials for this suit?» Peter asks.

«Will you believe me if I said it's random scraps of metal?»

«Dude, that's badass!»

«What's badass?» Tony asks behind them.

All three of them turn to look at him, and Peter replies, «Riri's suit, Mr Stark»

«Oh, yeah, that's pretty cool, which reminds me» Tony looks at Riri, «can I talk to you for a second?»

«Uhm... Yeah»

Tony moves some feet away, and Riri follows him. The man stares at the water for a moment, his only hand buried deep in the pocket of his pants.

«I made a few calls,» he says at last, fishing a key from the pocket and giving it to Riri, «this is for your new lab, it's being furnished as we speak, I thought that you needed a lair now that you're a superhero and all» 

«Mr Stark-» Riri starts, but Tony stops her with his hand raised.

«Tony, please»

«Tony» Riri repeats, «this is fantastic, I don't know how to repay you»

Tony smiles at her, «Just keep the world a better place, will you?»

Riri smiles so hard her cheeks hurt. She could scream, or cry, or both. She finally has her lab for her suits, and, knowing Tony, computers fast enough to build her own ai for them. In a second, she's hugging him, repeating over and over _thank you, thank you, thank you_. She can feel his soft laughter, his arm circling around her as he hugs back. This is possibly the best day of her life.

\---

Out in the woods, Loki asks, «What are you going to do now?»

«I don't know» Thor shrugs, «I think I'll stay with the Guardians, I like them»

Loki snorts, «Please, you like that StarLord guy»

Thor stares at his brother, mouth agape, an incredulous look on his face, and Loki rolls his eyes, «What, you think I'm blind? I saw you sneak glances at him during Stark's speech»

«And what about you?» Thor asks, trying to move the attention from him and his silly little crush, «What will you do?»

Loki sighs, «For the first time in my life I have no idea»

A beat, then, «I want you to rule Asgard»

«No,» Loki chuckles, shaking his head, «I've had enough of that for a lifetime» then a movement catches his eye over his brother's shoulder and he smirks, «but I know who could be an even better ruler than the both of us put together»

Thor turns around, only to find Valkyrie walking towards them. He looks back at his brother, who gives him a knowing look, and they both meet her in the middle. 

«Hey» she greets, «Korg, Miek and I are heading back to New Asgard in a few, will you come?»

«Uhm, about that...»

«Thor» she sighs, «your people need a king»

«No, they already have one»

«That's funny» Valkyrie laughs, «wait, you're being serious?»

Thor nods, resolute, «It's time for me to be who I am rather than who I'm supposed to be, but _you_, you're a leader, that's who you are»

«You know I'd make a lot of changes, right?»

«I'm counting on it» Thor bows a little, «your Majesty»

She smiles, then looks at Loki, «What about you?» 

Loki shrugs, «I'm still figuring that out»

Valkyrie crosses her arms and stares at him for a long moment, as if to study him. «You're smart» she says then, «intuitive, and a strategist, you're called the god of stories and you can make people _believe_ those stories, even if they're flat-out lies» she looks at him up and down, «I want you to be my right hand, I know I'll need someone like you»

Loki is taken aback by this. Before he can say anything though, Valkyrie walks closer, hissing, «But betray me and I'll bound you and have a serpent drip its venom into your eyes»

Loki's mouth lifts up in a smirk. He bows his head, never leaving Valkyrie's eyes. «Yes, your Majesty»

\---

«Are you sure?» Rocket asks as they enter the ship, «You just got your people back»

«Don't worry, I left them in very capable hands» Thor says. They reach the flight deck and Peter turns around. He smiles when he sees Thor, and Thor returns it. «Besides,» he says, looking him in the eyes, «there's nowhere I'd rather be»

Peter looks down, a faint blush on his cheeks as he turns to look at the screens in front of him. One of them has Gamora on it.

«So, where do we go now?» Peter asks his crew.

«We can go looking for Gamora?» Mantis suggests as Thor takes his place next to Peter.

Next to her, Nebula shakes her head, «No, if she wants to be found, we'll know»

«Where is she from anyway?» Peter asks her.

«2014» Nebula sighs, «she came here with the other me and Thanos' army»

Everyone looks at her, confused, except for Thor and Rocket. Nebula rolls her eyes, trying to look annoyed, but a small smile betrays her. She really missed them.

«I'll tell you all about it another time»

«Alright, then» Peter says, and turns on the engines of the Benatar, «guess we'll go where the wind takes us» 

But before he can take off, Thor stops him, «Wait, I have to do one last thing first»

Peter nods, «Go ahead,» he smiles, «we'll wait for you»

\---

There's no one left when Thor joins the Avengers at the riverside.

«Hey,» Tony grins when he spots him, «I thought you forgot us, what with your new friends and all»

Thor chuckles, shaking his head, «Never gonna happen»

Tony looks around at the group that formed, «Wow, what a world, what a _universe_. We did it again, and now everyone will go their separate ways. What are you guys gonna do now?»

Steve shrugs, «I don't know, maybe I'll retire too» 

«Yeah,» Clint nods, «I saw Sam with the shield» 

«He's the right person for it» Steve says, «I'm just tired of it all, and too old»

«Oh come on» Tony punches his shoulder lightly, «you're not that old» 

Steve raises one eyebrow at him, «Tony, I'm 103»

«You don't look 103» 

«70 years in the ice do that to a person» Steve replies sassy, causing soft laughs all around.

«I'm gonna stay at my cousin's for a while» Bruce says when the laughter calms down.

«Jen?» Tony asks, and Bruce nods. «Tell her I said hi» he then turns to everyone else, «Just, don't be strangers, guys, ok?» everyone nods, and Tony adds, eyes damp, «I love you 3000»

Nat chuckles, tears threatening to fall too, «Why 3000?»

«I don't know, it sounded cute» Tony sniffles, «Come on, bring it in, you dorks» 

Everyone joins in the group hug, squeezing each other tight. They had a wonderful long journey, and ups and downs weren't strangers to them, but they managed to go through them just fine.

Part of the journey is the end, even if, most of the times, it's hard to let go. 

** _Fin_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who joined me in this project and gave me their support. I know this isn't really an healthy coping mechanism, but at least, when I miss them I can come here and do it on my own terms instead of what really happened, and I'm pretty sure I'll miss them forever.  
Again, thank you guys, take care and I'll probably see you in my next story, who knows what that will be.


End file.
